Sparks Bristol to launch this May

The former Marks & Spencer building in Bristol's Broadmead will reopen as Sparks Bristol, a new creative arts and sustainability hub, on Saturday 13 May. 

This Department store with a difference will offer shopping, advice, events and art installations on the ground floor. There’s plenty to explore in each department - Fashion, Travel, Garden, Gifts, Re-Use, Food and Energy - each run by various local organisations including Travel West, Mila Plants, Emmaus, Bristol Energy Network and A Single Thread . Each area will provide ideas on how to take easy (and often money-saving) action on climate, sustainability and wellbeing. 

Image: Sparks Bristol under construction

The first floor will provide studio, workshop, office and performance spaces for local artists. Both floors will be open over the weekend from 12am until 5pm with exhibitions, discussion and music. The same weekend the Invisible Circus are holding the first of their street theatre weekends in Broadmead as part of their WOW festival. Look out for the giant butterflies, hedgehogs and kangaroos!

Image: Sparks Bristol under construction

Global Goals Centre and Artspace Lifespace are delighted to be working together to create this new venture. The ambition is to provide a vibrant, positive venue where local people and visitors can shop, recycle and explore what a greener, fairer and creative future could look like, breathing new life into the old M&S building on a ‘meanwhile use’ basis until the site is redeveloped. The site will aim to open to the public in Spring 2023 with the ambition of running the pilot initiative for at least six months.

Image: Sparks Bristol opening poster

“It’ll still be a department store but just with the occasional surprise. We hope that we can engage a lot more people in feeling hopeful, in finding inspiration to be part of change for a better city and for a better world.” - Jenny Foster, Global Goals Centre.