Southbank Bristol Arts

More than an Arts Trail!

The Southbank Bristol Arts Trail has been running for seven years now. Every May the communities of Southville, Bedminster and Ashton have come together to put on a display visual arts and performance, with artists opening their homes to the public and schools and venues in the area showing displays of art. In the past seven years we have seen the trail grow in size, with over 50 venues in 2008.

This success comes at a cost, mostly in time, as the trail is organised purely by volunteers. All of the money raised by the SBA is either ploughed back into the following year's event or is given to groups who can apply for funding to put on smaller arts events throughout the year. The volunteers are very committed, but have lives outside of the trail, and as a result many of the steering group are stepping down this year.

With so many people leaving it's a good opportunity to have a change, not just in people but in format. So we are changing the format somewhat of next years May event. The SBA has always been more than just the Arts Trail, although to many people that is what we are! But we do organise and sponsor other arts and performance events through the year besides the arts trail. There is the annual autumn exhibition at The Grant Bradley Gallery, and single events such as the Big Draw.

We are hoping to widen the scope a bit next May, and whilst we still see a place for artists to open their homes, we would like to widen the scope to include dance and performance, with street parties and a procession through the streets! Maybe you would like to be involved by getting your street closed for the day, get everyone to bring sofas outside. Let's get the whole neighbourhood involved in a big celebration, not just of art, but of the whole diversity of the area. A real festival of the streets!

About SBA

For more information on the Southbank Bristol Arts organisation, please see the About SBA page.