DIASPORA! Festival Flag Making Workshop

DIASPORA! Festival is a vibrant celebration of people, arts, culture, film, and more, taking place at host venues across the city on Early May Bank Holiday weekend 03 - 06 May. Brought to the South West by Diverse Artists Network, the festival aims to reflect the rich variety of talent within the south west’s global communities, with an emphasis on the creative arts that reside within these communities. Trinity is very proud to be partnering with Diverse Artist Network to bring Diaspora to Trinity, through a programme of workshops, music events and arts.

“Brilliant people, really welcoming and great level of diversity and lovely to talk to people from different backgrounds” - Diaspora! Flag Making Workshop Participant

As part of Diaspora’s engagement fringe programme in the lead up to their festival weekend, Trinity partnered up with them to deliver their programme of free creative workshops named ‘Flag Up Your Identity’. These workshops were open to all and served to unleash the creativity of the workshop participants to make a unique flag that embodied their identity and heritage. Participants were encouraged to create unique flags influenced by their cultural roots and their personal journey. Over the Easter period, Trinity welcomed over 30 participants who made wonderful flags which will be showcased at Trinity and other locations around the city.

DIASPORA! Festival continues throughout the May bank holiday weekend, kicking off with the official opening ceremony for the festival taking place on Friday 03 May 4pm – 7pm. Expect an evening of dance, music, poetry, food, and folklore, showcasing the extraordinary talents of our local community while fostering meaningful cross-cultural connections. Tickets are free, find out more here.

After the opening ceremony on 03 May, we will be hosting Pangea at Trinity. Pangea is a club night which celebrates sound system music from around the globe, bringing together a diverse range of genres including Samba, Bhangra, highlife, gospel, dancehall and much more. Click here to get tickets.

Closing out proceedings, on Sunday 05 May we have Alkebulan, African Storytelling Village, a day of African arts and culture featuring captivating storytelling to vibrant dance performances. Featuring local artists from the likes of Kabbo Hue Ferdinand, MoYah, Ian Solomon-Kawall, Penny Avery, and Mohammed Errebba, this event promises an unforgettable cultural showcase. Find out more here.

We are very proud to be partnering with Diverse Artists Network for DIASPORA! Festival, highlighting our commitment to providing accessible cultural events for the community, and a space to learn arts and crafts as well as opportunities for participants to skill share.

Image credit: Nova twins

“Bringing the venue up to spec will not only benefit us as a venue, but the artists, technicians, and promoters who come into the space; increasing creative possibilities and audience experience."

Production Coordinator, Aysha Tailor - Whyte

Trinity are one of 13 venues to have been awarded funds from the Music Venue Trust’s Pipeline Investment Fund to purchase new equipment for our live music/club programme and our outdoor venue, The Den.

The £4134.69 investment from MVT, at time of rising energy costs and a cost-of-living crisis, will enable us to reduce production costs and increase capacity. The costs saved alongside additional revenue generated will help us to build upon our free/subsidised space hire for community groups and residents.

The grant will help towards the purchase of additional lighting fixtures and replace existing fixtures for our live-music spaces, The Den and the Main Hall. The grant will also allow us to purchase uniform for the team to make our staff easily identifiable for those in need of assistance during events.

The Pipeline Investment Fund was established last year with the support of members of the Music Venues Alliance and was primarily funded by donations from ticket sales of MVT’s recent ‘Revive Live’ programme of gigs around the UK, which was a partnership with The National Lottery.

Set the vibe for your weekend at The Den Socials in our outdoor venue

Nestled in the grounds of the historic Trinity Centre, uncover The Den; a place for food, friends and some of the best music from the underground scene right now.

From March 03 head down to the The Den Socials on Thursday and Friday evenings and enjoy food from local vendors, drinks and music from resident DJs and collectives.

The Den will be hosting local independent food traders and resident DJs each month. In March, local vendors Ceylon and Beyond and Small Fire Pizza will offering an array of Sri Lankan Street Food and handmade stonebaked pizza.

DJ collective Booty Bass - fresh off their sell-out New Year's Eve event at Trinity - will help set the tone for the weekend with their Friday evening residency (6pm-9pm). On Thursdays the Trinity team have connected with some of Bristol’s best producers and DJs to bring you an eclectic mix of artists including Mr Fitz, Kreed and Discobobulator.

Launching on 03 Mar the Den Socials will run Thursday/Friday evenings throughout the spring.

There is no booking required and entry is free – just bring good vibes and good friends.

Find out more about The Den Socials on trinitybristol.org.uk

March lineup:

Thursdays: Mr Fitz/Kreed/Discobobulator + more TBA

Fridays: Booty Bass DJ's

This series is part of Trinity Presents - our in-house programme in our brand new outdoor venue The Den.

Grove - Image Credit: Sophia Stefelle

Kahn ft. Rider Shafique - Image Credit: Sophia Stefelle

After The Fire - Image Credit: Sophia Stefelle

Rita Lynch - Image Credit: Marley Small

Hip Hop Garden - Image Credit: Sophia Stefelle

Image Credit: Sophia Stefelle

Solomon O.B - Image Credit: Sophia Stefelle

Irish Mellow + Cxption - Image Credit: Marley Small

Garden Party: Revolution Sounds was our second free-community event of the year where we said goodbye to the summer with a mix of live music, workshops, performances and an immersive exhibition: After The Fire.

As always we welcomed some of the best artists in Bristol and the South West all playing on The Den stage. From punk to experimental we had the likes of Rita Lynch, Talisman and Kahn. Kept a secret until they came on, headliner Grove closed out proceedings with an epic mosh pit.

"Inspirational people and artwork" Feedback, Garden Party: Revolution Sounds

In the Fyfe Hall, we hosted an immersive exhibition 'After the Fire', a thought-provoking odyssey through the sounds and sights of Bristol’s protest history in recent years. This exhibition allowed us to present a culmination of artwork made as part of the last two years of Art of Resistance - pieces created by participants including pottery and murals, alongside placards made as part of our Visions of Resistance including a mural made by Tanith Gould which was displayed outside People's Republic of Stokes Croft on Jamaica Street.

We also had a number of workshops running throughout the day, including Movema Dance Workshops and Button-Up Badge Making Workshop in the Main Hall, plus Hip-Hop Workshops in the Trinity Garden.

Big thanks once again to everyone that made this event possible - from the artists that performed, the exhibition curators, the workshop facilitators, the lighting and sound team working behind the scenes, the bar staff and Trinity Team, and of course all of you that came down on the day - over 1,200 of you came along, and we raised over £1,000 in donations so that we can put on more events like Garden Party for the local community.

If you'd like to stay in the loop with everything on at Trinity, head to our What's On page for all our upcoming events, or follow our Instagram, Facebook and Twitter and sign up to our mailing list to stay updated.

Art of Resistance is a two-year, National Heritage Lottery Funded project charting 100 years of protest in Bristol.

Yemz - Sophia Stefelle

The Den - Khali Ackford

Big Tent - Rahil Ahmad

Bristol Harbour Festival - Jade Ayino

While we're all sad that summer is winding down, we thought this would be the perfect opportunity to take a minute to reflect on some of the amazing arts and music events that’ve happened at Trinity over the last few months. Read on to learn more about our highlights from an amazing summer of activities.

Garden Party

Trinity's annual Garden Party returned this summer for the first time since 2019 and it was such a pleasure to welcome you all back to one of our flagship events for the season.

This year, we were able to bring a great programme of artists from Bristol and beyond to perform in The Den, including LCY, Yemz, tlk and more. Alongside our music offering, we also hosted a range of workshops including drumming and circus skills, Young Musicians takeover of the main stage, poetry and heritage activities in the Graffiti Room, as well as a whole load of food and craft stalls from local businesses.

We had a great time at May's Garden Party and it seemed like you all did too - over 4000 people attended on the day and we managed to raise £4500 in donations so that we can continue to offer events like Garden Party to our amazing local community.

The Den

We launched The Den, our new outdoor space for platforming emerging talent. Joining forces with some of the best promoters and talent developments agencies in the South West we welcomed Bristol poetry collective Raise The Bar, family friendly day raves from female led DJ collective Peachin' and Club Djembe.

Bristol Harbour Festival

Trinity took to the stage at Bristol Harbour Fest 2022, hosting Bristol Dances in Millennium Square. Over the weekend we showcased the breadth of dance in the city from Irish Dancing to Bharathnatyam Dance to Voguing alongside performances from award-winning dance troupes, HYPE and Miss Daisy Dance Class.

Big Tent

As part of Radix Big Tent Ideas Festival, Trinity joined forces with Bristol DIY Arts Network to shine a light on Bristol’s diverse and rich cultural offering by inviting cultural leaders in the city to take part in keynotes and panel discussions exploring the role of culture in driving change in the city and what ‘City of Culture’ means for an independently creative city like Bristol.

Bristol Ball

We were honoured to host Bristol’s first official Vouge Ball at Trinity this summer with The Bristol Ball. Originating in Harlem in the 1920s, Ballroom culture provides a safe space for LGBTQIA+ people to express themselves through dance, music and fashion. It was great to be able to host a sold-out Vogue Ball at Trinity and be a part of this ongoing Ballroom culture.

We'll be celebrating the end of summer this Sunday (18 Sep) at Garden Party: Revolution Sounds, our second Garden Party of 2022, a free, community party that will bring together some of the best arts activists, covering music, sound, poetry, art and performance.

Photo Credit: Sam Howard

For the last 15 years, Teachings in Dub has been a staple of the Bristol dub scene and has become one of the longest running club nights in Bristol. Formed by Stryda (Dubkasm) and Pinch at Clockwork Nightclub on Stokes Croft until 2008 when Teachings found its new home here at Trinity.

Dub and soundystem cultures have been an integral part of Bristol’s music scene. During the 1970s and 1980's a DIY culture of soundsystems sprung up, particularly around East Bristol, allowing young people in Bristol to participate in the city’s music scene from the ground up.

Teachings in Dub has allowed for a new generation to participate in Bristol’s history of dub music. Teachings co-founder Stryda writes that the event has “always been about bridging the gap between the older generation and the new and ensuring the culture is maintained and respected but the vibes are passed on”.

"We aim to give elders a space to enjoy the music and vibes they grew up on as well as a window for newcomers to enter a music scene they may have otherwise not even known existed” - Stryda, Teachings in Dub co-founder

Stryda attributes Teachings’ long-standing popularity to providing “an authentic space to experience real undiluted soundsystem vibrations. The Bristol music scene is respected worldwide but is built on Reggae and soundsystem. We aim to give elders a space to enjoy the music and vibes they grew up on as well as a window for newcomers to enter a music scene they may have otherwise not even known existed”.

Teachings has hosted some of the biggest names in dub and roots reggae, including Jah Shakka, Iration Steppas, Channel One Soundystem and Aba Shanti-I, and will host celebrations for 50 Years of Jah Tubby this month on 17 Sep, before celebrating 15 Years of Teachings in Dub on 25 Nov.

Ahead of their day party takeover at Trinity on 27 Aug, we sat down with Club Djembe co-founder Ryan Foster (DJ Stolen) to chat about the label's beginnings, thoughts on the Bristol music scene and what's next for Club Djembe.

Trinity are collaborating with Club Djembe as part of Trinity Presents, our in-house programme celebrating our diverse city and platforming emerging talent, to host a day party in The Den, our new seasonal outdoor venue situated in the historic grounds of Trinity.

How did Club Djembe start?

Ryan: Club Djembe started all through a lack of events within Bristol that were pushing & promoting our music. We were playing UK Funky, Afro House & a lot of percussion led music on radio but never heard/saw of anything happening within the clubs in Bristol, so myself (DJ Stolen) & Jake decided to launch Club Djembe. Luckily for us at the time Josie was working behind the bar at The Love Inn so we managed to throw our first party and it all kicked off from there back in 2017.

What do you think Club Djembe offers to the Bristol music scene?

We know for ourselves and hear from our community that it is hard to find these genres of music in the events scene. Consistency (which is always key), as we guarantee that no night will stray from the vibe and atmosphere that we like to create - we have an open the door attitude and welcome a variety of people/cultures We also want ticket prices and venues to be affordable and accessible for everyone. And mostly, which we are most proud of, is that we love to support and put on new artists, that's something that excites us the most.

What kinds of events do you think are missing from the Bristol club scene?

Bristol has pretty much been the epicentre for Drum & Bass in the UK for as long as I can remember. It’s really refreshing to see a few more nights popping up that are pushing and promoting the same kind of music as us, Amapiano, UK Funky, Afro House like Lockmars for example. However it would be good to see more of these across Bristol, I think a lot of would be promoters get afraid by the prospect of an event not going well, however the best events from our experience are the ones you put on through a love & passion for the music rather than focusing on the monetary side of events.

What's next for Club Djembe?

The remainder of 2022 is looking RAMMED for us can’t lie. We’re throwing our first proper London event in September which is going to be massive, it’s falling inline with the release of our next compilation, Club Djembe Vol. 3 which is also huge! We then have one more release to go for the year which is from one of our favourite Bristol producers and we also have three more Bristol events in the pipeline including a big Christmas knees up with another sick London/Bristol based promoter so keep your eyes firmly planted on Club Djembe socials over the next few months as we have a lot going on.

Club Djembe will be playing at Trinity's outdoor venue The Den on Sat Aug 27. Click here to grab your tickets.

Peachin' Day Festival. Photo credit Khali Ackford

In our commitment to platform emerging talent and provide access to quality facilities for the community, we’re excited to announce a summer season of live music and spoken word events in our outdoor space, ‘The Den’.

Between July-September 2022, we will be showcasing some of the best breakthrough artist from Bristol and the South West alongside a wider programme of family friendly arts activities and events.

“Trinity have always been there providing a space for us and many other artists to do what we do best and always put creativity and community first” Ishmael Ensemble

We’ve joined forces with collectives who are making waves in the region including Bristol poetry collective Raise The Bar, who are bringing Youtuber Leena Norms to perform, 31 July and multi-disciplinary Arts organisation Beyond Face, who will take over The Den to showcase spoken word artists from the global majority.

Head over to our What's On section to find out more about events and activities at The Den.

About The Den

Our vision for The Den is to increase our presentation of creative and performing arts, and alongside this provide facilities in the interests of social welfare for recreation and leisure for community groups and local residents.

Funded by Power to Change, Bristol City Council, Tarmac Landfill Communities Fund and match funders, our revamped outdoor space feels like a secret, magical corner of a festival. The space - including bar, kitchen, outdoor seating and stretch-tent – is set within our beautiful garden and heritage grounds.

The works form part of Trinity’s phased capital works programme, that paused in 2020 when the impacts of COVID19 and Brexit caused delays to planned construction of a larger scheme of work, including a two-story kitchen/bar with offices and outdoor area.

Venue Director, Jamell Ackford said; “Like many music venues, we began to get creative with our outdoor space in response to pandemic restrictions, launching the ‘Garden Sessions’ in 2020.

Following support in 2021 from the Architectural Heritage Fund to to revisit and revise our Feasibility Study, a detailed community consultation helped us to find out what the community wanted from us in a post-pandemic environment. From this, we updated our original plans and the idea for ‘The Den’ was born.

With this new bespoke setup, The Den will provide wider opportunities including supporting local food and community activities, as well as giving audiences a unique experience.”

As part of Trinity’s post-pandemic responses, a Community Activities Coordinator has been appointed to support ‘Community Kickstart’ activity – working with local residents, grassroots groups and charities to establish new activities from the space.

If you are a local resident or group and would like to run an activity for the local community, get in touch with stefan@trinitybristol.org.uk to find out more.

Joy Crookes. Credit: Khali Ackford

Kokoroko. Credit: Luke Macpherson

Ezra Collective. Credit: Ash Harnett

With Self Esteem’s recent sold-out gig and Wet Leg coming up (21 Apr), we thought we'd take a moment to reflect on some of the best acts who've played at Trinity on their breakthrough tours in the last few years.

Alt J (2012)

Indie pop makers Alt-J came to perform live to a sell-out crowd the day after they won the Mercury Prize for what was to be one of their last intimate gigs.

Ezra Collective (2019)

London jazz collective Ezra Collective fuse Afrobeat, Hip-Hop and Soul to create a distinct sound. Known for “pioneering the new-wave of UK jazz music” (Boilerroom) their sell-out gig was yet another sell-out in 2019.

Freddie Gibbs (2019)

American rapper Freddie Gibbs is known for his technical proficiency and provocative lyrics as well has two collaborations with critically acclaimed Madlib.

Loyle Carner (2019)

One of the most popular rappers to come out of the UK in recent years, Loyle Carner played here following the release of his second album ‘Not Waving, But Drowning’.

Mick Jenkins (2019)

American rapper Mick Jenkins had released two far reaching albums, The Healing Component (2016) and Pieces of a Man (2018) prior to playing to a very ecstatic hip-hop loving audience.

Kokoroko (2020)

London-based eight-piece musical group Kokoroko play a fusion of Jazz and Afrobeat and came to us just before Lockdown restrictions in Mar 2020. Despite this, they are making waves in the UK Nu-Jazz scene.

Joy Crookes (2021)

An essential new voice in the burgeoning UK Neo-Soul scene, Joy Crookes played an incredible sold-out show in November last year.

Self-Esteem (2022)

Hot off the press, we knew Self Esteem was going to be popular by early requests for press passes and how quickly it sold out. The crowd jumped to the performance of I Do This All The Time and we think this will be a gig that forges itself in many memories. We are sure this will be one of her last gigs playing to smaller crowds.

Not-to-miss breakthrough gigs coming up:

Bakar (03 Apr)

A melting pot of indie, rap, rock, and punk, Bakar's music bridges the gap between genres, drawing influence from a wide range of artists such as Madlib and Foals.

Wet Leg (21 Apr)

The Isle Of White two-piece drew international acclaim with their breakout single Chaise Lounge, which went viral last year.

Yard Act (11 May)

Spearheaded by James Smith (vocals) and Ryan Needham (bass), the four-piece have built a sound that explores observations from all walks of modern British life.

Singer-songwriter, composer and musician, Nuala Honan, joined Trinity for a livestream single launch for new single, Head Undone.

‘Head Undone’ is the second single from Bristol-based, Australia-born, independent artist, Nuala Honan’s second album, which launches later this year.

This is brought to you by Trinity Presents. Click here to see more arts, community, well-being and education content or follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Trinity are working with external artists, partners and organisations as part of Trinity Presents Online to provide exciting content, relevant to Trinity's diverse audiences and in line with our Equal Opportunities and Free Speech Policies. Click here for more information about our Policies. While we endeavour to ensure content we share is relevant and appropriate, Trinity is not responsible for individual content created by third parties.

Speakers on and clear yourselves some room on the dance floor for this Needlewurk Charity Club Stream; from fun-lovin', mashup-makin', record-skratchin', funky mixtape boffin, Jimi Needles. Streamed in aid of two amazing charities Caring in Bristol & Aid Box Community.

This is brought to you by Trinity Presents. Click here to see more arts, community, well-being and education content or follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Trinity are working with external artists, partners and organisations as part of Trinity Presents Online to provide exciting content, relevant to Trinity's diverse audiences and in line with our Equal Opportunities and Free Speech Policies. Click here for more information about our Policies. While we endeavour to ensure content we share is relevant and appropriate, Trinity is not responsible for individual content created by third parties.

People gather in the main hall for this years drumming workshop Photo @Alexa Ledecky

Families taking part in the craft workshops in the Main Hall Photo @ Alexa Ledecky

Almatic's lead singer Katie during their set on the Main Stage Photo @ Alexa Ledecky

Children taking part in Cirque De Silk's aerial workshop Photo @ Alexa Ledecky

All the enjoyment early on in our community garden Photo @ Alexa Ledecky

Miss T, who attends sessions as part of our music making project plays the Making Tracks showcase Photo @Alexa Ledecky

Families enjoying the spring sun and vibes with Trinity and her iconic towers in the background Photo @ Khali Ackford

Wecil Collective perform in the Main Hall, including an cameo from Trinity's Engagement Coordinator Dr Edson Burton who MC'd on the mics Photo @ Khali Ackford

Bristol artist, DJ and producer Dutchie during her set Photo @ Khali Ackford

Rider Shafique and Sam Binga played the end set at this years Garden Party Photo @ Khali Ackford

Trinity T's everywhere! Photo @Khali Ackford

And it ends ... with Lottie Ball & Edson Burton hosts of this years Garden Party Photo @ Khali Ackford

Volunteers sort through clothes in the Graffiti Room. Photo @Khali Ackford

A big thanks to everyone for their support during the Caring at Christmas day shelter at Trinity.

Across the project a total of 2307 hot meals and 2400 sandwiches where served to around 100 guests a day in the Day Centre at Trinity. We have been really delighted to team up and with Caring at Christmas for this much needed ambitious project,  during the crucial Christmas period when provisions become scarce in Bristol for those experiencing homelessness.

Thank you everyone for helping to make it happen!

Regular Trinity users donated Christmas trees to decorate the main hall. Photo @Khali Ackford

Trinity became a day shelter with support, food and social activities. Photo @Khali Ackford

Dinner awaits. Photo @Khali Ackford

Caring in Bristol team members outside Trinity. Photo @Khali Ackford

Sunkern Circus perform to crowds to open up our Festival of Light photo @ Khali Ackford

Young people from our Making Tracks project performed at our Annual Festival of Light and, they were great.

Making Tracks is our collaborative music making project with ACE and Basement– giving young people the opportunity to learn new skills in music creation. Trinity offers 121 and small group music sessions alongside industry workshops and opportunities to perform at Trinity events.

Xyzelle, Sealvia and Chantaleaze - students from project partners ACE performed first to a packed room. Photo Khali Ackford

Xyzelle, Sealvia and Chantaleaze from project partners ACE (Aspiration, Creation, Elevation) performed two songs, followed by Trinity student Louis Stone who performed his original songs using both his acoustic and electric guitars.

Great to welcome Trinity student Louis Stone who played tracks he is working on as part of Making Tracks. Photo Khali Ackford

Playing to an energetic and supportive crowd the students performed cracking sets and roused the crowds ready for local dub DJ Dutchie and the ever fantastic Bristol Reggae Orchestra – well done to them.

Dub DJ Dutchie gets the crowd ready for Bristol Reggae Orchestra photo @Khali Ackford

Bit of a squeeze for Bristol Reggae Orchestra on the stage in the main hall! @Khali Ackford

Onj's firework display was a treat for all the family. Photo @ Khali Ackford

This year we welcome over 800 people through the gates who came to watch the aerial performances, the fantastic firework display from Onj, a very warm bonfire from Woodsy, and the live music in our main hall.

Thanks to everyone that makes the event happen, from staff; to volunteers; to artists; to traders and of course all of you who attended.

The Festival of Light is a free event supported in part by public donations. This year we raised over £1100 in donations meaning that we can continue to run events like The Festival of Light so everyone can enjoy.

We aim to use resuable cups at all events to reduce waste and the impact plastic waste has on the environment

Having trialled our brand new reusable Trinity Cups at this year's Garden Party we're now rolling these out across all events. We want to make sure that Trinity does its bit to be green and what better way than introducing a system or reusable cups. We've already seen a reduction of of our waste by 80% after just one event.

In order to make sure that people don't take our cups home (they are pretty lovely so you might be tempted) we will be asking you for a £1 deposit when you place your first order at the bar. We will then return this at the end of the night when you bring your cup back.

If you decide you want one of our lovely cups for your own home (who wouldn't, perfect for camping and using for those long summer BBQs in your own Garden) you can choose to not get your deposit back. You can even swap your used cup on your way out at bar for a lovely fresh one. All proceeds from this are then fed back in to our fundraising efforts so it is a win win all round.

Crowd throwing the Trinity T's 2017 Photo credit Khali Ackford

This year's Garden Party is on Sunday 13 May, we have a packed schedule of family-friendly activities and workshops running alongside a fantastic mix of local artists and bands.

Throughout the day we have lots of family and kids activities. From learning circus skills with Invisible youth to making a traditional Japanese puppet in the Bunraku Puppetry Workshop. Don't forget to head to the main hall and take part in a drumming workshop.

This year's main stage highlights include some of the most exciting music coming from Bristol & the South West right now. Headliner, Om Unit brings his unique take on sound-system culture, inspired by hip-hop, dubstep, ambient, jungle and footwork. Big party vibes coming from heavyweight live performance, UK Bass scene leader and lyricist Gardna whose taking the stage with DJ and producer, Kreed.

Bristol musician Sam Neal plays at garden party 2017 Photo credit @ Jessica Bartolini

We’re welcoming back Baraka, featuring musicians from Ghana, Senegal, Dominica, Trinidad and Southern Ireland to bring a sound influenced by Calypso baselines, Blues Harmonica, Soca with Balafon and Flute. Sam Neal who is just one of the talents we have seen grow from our Youth Music Scheme, will be performing songs from his up coming EP. It makes us very proud to see him doing so well. Nice one Sam.  Head to our main hall during the afternoon and catch  some of the young people attending music sessons at Trinity, Basement Studio and ACE.

We’ve got a great selection of stalls from Bristol makers, including women and men’s clothing stall Ashanti Empress , art work by Cosmic Soul Collective and cruelty free feather jewellery from Phat Feathers.

Volunteering: Trinity's Garden Party relies on volunteers to ensure that the 3k people who come every year have a great time (and, are is are also kept safe). We have a variety of stewarding roles and shifts across the day. If you fancy meeting new people, gaining new skills and getting 2 free gig tickets, then head over here to find out how to offer your time and sign up.

This year we are going to be shaking our buckets hard and asking everyone for a donation of £3 (or what you can afford). We recently launched the Trinity Conservation Campaign to raise the vital funds needed to repair historic damage to the building. Your donations will go directlytowards our campaign, ensuring we secure Trinity’s past, present & future.

Full line up:

Om Unit

Gardna x Kreed

Sunun

Baraka

The Brackish

Soma

Baast

Rhain

Sam Neal

Youth Music Showcase

Help us secure Trinity's past, present & future

We're super happy to be hosting the launch for this year's Mayfest festival...as well as three fantastic shows.

To celebrate their return (having taken the decision to become a biannual festival), Mayfest have invited "Ghanaian DJ and producer Katapila to kick off the festival with one of his marathon, euphoria-drenched DJ sets. Splicing the neo-traditional dance music styles of his youth in Accra with the up-tempo, bass-heavy, Roland 808 sounds of Detroit techno, Chicago acid and house, Katapila’s relentlessly joyful sets have become a thing of legend" in Trinity's Main Hall. Come on down (10 May) and expect killer selections adorned with splashes of digital synths, electronic percussion and vocal interjections that galvanise waves of full-blown euphoria wherever he plays.

So, for those who haven't been - what is Mayfest? Mayfest is Bristol’s unique international festival of contemporary theatre, "dedicated to presenting a broad range of unusual, playful and ambitious work from leading theatre makers from Bristol, the UK and beyond". They will be taking over theatre (and non theatre) spaces across the city bringing 10 days of back to back performances, workshops and talks from Thur 10th - to Sun 20th May.

This year we are excited to be hosting How (not) to live in Surburbia (14-15 May) a new show from Annie Siddons "a hilarious, brutal and poignant attempt" to describe what happened next when "in the middle of a shitstorm of life events, single mother, artist and proud Londoner Annie Siddons found herself living in suburbia by accident".

Meanwhile, Scottish Dance Theatre bring Velvet Petal (16-18 May) to Fyfe Hall where they present their latest show about"tough girls and pretty boys living life in the margins, dreaming about being at the centre". They explore "the transformative power of beauty, created out of whatever is on the bedroom floor" in this "truly compelling piece, exquisitely performed” (The Stage).

Finally it feels very fitting to be hosting acclaimed Australian artist Joseph O’Farrell (JOF) and Sam Halmarack who combine theatre with the fist-pumping euphoria and power ballads of a stadium gig, in WE ARE LIGHTNING! (15-18 May) "a darkly comical work that reflects on the importance of communal spaces where people can come together and express themselves".

For more info on the rest of their programming visit Mayfest's website here.

Keisha Thompson's Afrofuturistic Man on the Moon

Trinity’s new season of Theatre and Dance is all about celebrating change and features a strong cast of female led  performances - launching with Keisha Thompson’s Afro futuristic journey of displacement and family relationships, Man on the Moon (March 23) and Ella Mesma’s emotionally charged fusion of hip hop and latin dance, Ladylike (24 March).

Thompson’s Man on the Moon is a bruk down journey, through space and time, fuelled by love and fear. Using poetry, looped sounds and story-telling, Keisha’s intimate performance explores the Black British experience of mental health and how that can impact the family dynamic. While Ella’s Ladylike fuses Afro Cuban, Breaking, Rocking and Contemporary dance theatre to fight & undress preconceptions of what it is to be ‘Ladylike’.

Uchenna Dance’s The Head Wrap Dairies (13 April) is “ an amazing piece that I know that a lot of people have been dying to see” says Natasha Benjamin who runs the award winning weekly urban dance group Hype at Trinity.

“I think Head Wrap Diaries really embraces the struggle that the Afro Caribbean community is going through at the moment, especially young girls and women, for many years of growing up not knowing when or where the natural form of their hair will be accepted, so I think seeing this piece will be an eye opener to those that may not be aware or may not understand the struggle of this issue.”

Natasha, sits on Trinity’s programming forum – who share their thoughts on possible shows for our in-house programme. Collaboration is at the heart of what we do, so asking communities to help us shape our programme means the work we bring here is relevant to our audiences.

IGNiTE Launches with Man on the Moon, March 23. 7.30pm at The Trinity Centre. For tickets and more, head to IGNiTE's what's on.

About IGNiTE

Trinity's in house programme of world-class, innovative theatre and dance about issues that matter to people now, starting conversations and sparking debate. IGNiTE is supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England

We are looking for participants aged 16+ who have an interest in movement and performing. No experience in dance or performance is necessary.

Participants will take part in 4 workshops with company members to create a short piece to be presented alongside TrashDollys, and a mixed program of performances from Bristol based artists on Saturday 27th January. The community cast piece will explore themes around isolation, and the value of communication in young people.

DATES:
The rehearsals and performance will take place at the Trinity Centre, Bristol. You will be required on the following dates:
23rd January | 5pm – 7pm
24th January | 5pm – 7pm
25th January | 5pm – 7pm
26th January | 5pm – 7pm
27th January | 3pm – 5pm (Rehearsal) | 7pm – 9pm (Performance)

SIGN UP: To sign up for a place in the community cast, just email participation@trashdollys.com - please include your name, age, and a line or two about you and what interests you in the project. Its free to take part!

Trinity is proud to announce that we have achieved Bronze status in line with Attitude is Everything's Venue and Festival Charter of Best Practice.

Attitude is Everything improves Deaf and disabled people’s access to live music by working in partnership with audiences, artists and the music industry. The ethos of the Charter is that Deaf and disabled people should be as independent as they want to be at live music events.

Attitude is Everything provided a toolkit detailing criteria for changes to the built environment, organisational policies and processes to help Trinity become more accessible. A specially designed action plan will allow us to progress through the stages, starting with Bronze and making our way to our goal of achieving Silver Award by the end of 2018. Reaching Bronze is recognition of our current offer:

- personal assistant ticket for gigs at no additional cost

- accessible parking spaces and box office

- viewing platform with good sightlines to the stage

As part of our commitment to access Trinity recently secured £5,000 funding from the Hedley Foundation and Bruce Wake Charitable Trust to pay for a mobile accessible lift to enable wheelchair users to access our Main Stage. The new lift can be available for any event. Please get in touch if you would like more information.

For more information about accessibility at Trinity click here or give our staff a call on 0117 935 1200.