Art of Resistance launch

The toppling of the Colston statue has put Bristol under the global spotlight.

“2020 could not be timelier for the launch of Art of Resistance: we’re really pleased to be able to launch this two year project, made possible by National Lottery players, at a time of great public movement in the city. We will work with people across the city to document the unofficial histories that are often lost over time and capture Bristol’s creative and activist spirit by exploring the art that underpinned movement that have shaped our diverse city and country.”

Edson Burton, Heritage & Engagement Curator

This, along with the wider Black Lives Matter movement, has led to an outpouring of creative responses - from poetry, to illustration to performance. But this is by no means a new occurrence in Bristol, which has been a city noted of radical art and activism for decades.

Capturing that spirit, The Trinity Centre, Old Market, are launching the Art of Resistance project - awarded funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund in March 2020, prior to lockdown toward a two year programme - will explore the history of protest and activism in Bristol and the art that underpinned each movement.

Over a two year project, the project team, led by local historian, writer and director Dr Edson Burton, will celebrate the creative responses of key movements over the last 100 years - including Women’s Equality, Workers Rights and Anti-Fascism.

A grant of £150,000 will support a broad programme of research, talks, events, artist commissions, exhibitions and the creation of an online archive to chart these untold stories.

Trinity will be working with a number of research partners to realise the project.

“From Bishop Wulfstan to Jen Reid, Bristol has had a long and distinctive tradition of calling out injustice. The arts and music have helped to rally differing groups to ally together against self-serving privilege and callous greed. Given its own history, Trinity is especially well placed to showcase the many ways in which the city and the nation can come to know itself in a more honest and dynamic way.” Dr. Madge Dresser, Honorary Professor of History with Department of Historical Studies at Bristol University.