Finding Common Ground

Linking communities along Bristol’s waterways

WE ARE COMPLIANT WITH CURRENT COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS AS WE PROGRESS THIS PROJECT AND SEEK FUNDING. WE HOPE TO BE ACTIVE IN BRISTOL’S COMMUNITIES IN 2021

During the summer of 2020 we have been leading Walk n Talk events within our riverside neighbourhoods looking at how we can help communities be part of the decision making and planning in relation to changes in the built and cultural environments of Bristol.

Emerging from Art within the Cracks this project sets out to talk to Bristol’s citizens and find out what they think about how the city can best grow. We’re interested in what unites us and are using the Rivers Frome, Malago and Avon to link neighbourhoods. The areas we are beginning with are Frenchay, Eastville/Easton, Bedminster, Hotwells, Hartcliffe and Withywood.

This autumn, we’ve teamed up with Bristol Artists’-Led Forum and Diverse Artists Network to co-create participatory activities to bring back into our communities in 2021 when we have clarity about Covid-19 restrictions. We are presenting these activities at the Centre of Gravity exhibition at Gardiner Haskins in October 2020. We want you to come and help us create Unlocking Bristol an installation with sound, painting and sculpture so we can collect city-wide views on what citizens need to improve our city- we believe that locals are the experts in their areas.

We’re still fundraising, but we’d love to hear from you if you want to join the conversations and journey with us to find common ground.

Who are we? As artists we’ve been co-creating with communities for a couple of decades, creating community gardens, performances, films, songs, maps and, as activists we’ve help people share their ideas.

**I developed activities for Peaceful Portway 2015 as part of Sharing Communities**

Lizzie Philps lives in the Begbrook Estate, Frome Valley ward- she devises extraordinary arts activities with communities

**Annali Grimes facilitates and instigates interventions at the M32 Spot**

**Grace Kress of ShelbyXStudios campaigns for cItizens rights using accessible graphic design and community arts**

**Amy Hutchings has designed and painted murals with communities of Hotwells and Withywood**

**Gill Simmons writes songs and performances with communities about their environments**

**Jo Bushell works with the community in St Annes and is Artist in Residence at Arnos Vale Cemetery**

It’s not just artists, we’re also working with Action Greater Bedminster, Hotwells & Cliftonwood Community Association & Frenchay Village Museum. And we’re talking to ACORN Union, Liveable Neighbourhoods, Extinction Rebellion, Bricks Bristol, UWE, Bristol University, Bristol Health Partners, Windmill Hill and Malago planning group, Bedminster Green Hub and many more.

Resources:

Alternative Approaches to Architecture talk at Centre of Gravity with Professor Rachel Sara & Thomas Sale. In presentation form here are Rachel’s, Tom’s talk and Anna’s talk

HighWaterLine Bristol report, 2015, Isobel Tarr & Anna Haydock-Wilson is a great resource in community engagement around social issues and a production guide for a city wide project.

My personal motivation in devising this project is my experience of my upbringing. Inner City London has been feeling development pressures since the 1980s, using my home town, Deptford, I have been musing about the impacts with friends which you can see in this film.

Here is a video presentation of how my practice has developed to lead me to Finding Common Ground