Bristol 650 secures funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund

Bristol Ideas is thrilled to announce that it has secured a grant of over £110,000 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to support a range of activities marking Bristol 650 and celebrating Bristol’s diverse history and cultural heritage.

Bristol 650 marks 650 years since King Edward III granted Bristol its independence from other county authorities, making it a city and a county in its own right. The Heritage Fund, renowned for its dedication to preserving and promoting cultural heritage, has awarded over

£110,000 towards Bristol 650 activities taking place across the city which will uncover and amplify the untold stories of Britain’s communities, cultures and achievements over the past 650 years.

Naomi Miller, Acting Director for Bristol Ideas, says: ’Bristol is often described as an independent and radical city. Rather than being a recent trend, this characteristic of ours is in fact rooted in our history as far back as 1373. Bristol 650 is an opportunity to explore, research, share and celebrate the many stories of Bristol. We are incredibly grateful to the Heritage Fund and the many other supporters and organisers of this activity for helping to bring this anniversary year to life across the city.'

Stuart McLeod, Director of England – London & South at The National Lottery Heritage Fund, says: ‘Bristol has fascinating and diverse heritage and we’re looking forward to seeing this brought to life through Bristol 650. Thanks to money raised by National Lottery players, this project will help local people better understand their heritage and history right on their doorstep. It’s a great way of bringing people together and creating a sense of pride of place.’

The Bristol 650 activity funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund includes:

• Learning resources and school workshops inviting Bristolians to explore who they are, where they came from and where they are going, run by Bridging Histories as part of Unicornfest.

• Essays commissioned from creative thinkers and community leaders from across Bristol exploring the city’s history and how the past can inform the changes that need to be made in the city’s future. These essays will be collated into a publication, with 1000 copies distributed across the city. They will also be published in an online zine and as an online blog series on bristolideas.co.uk, with audio recordings of the essays made available on Soundcloud.

• Research at the RWA exploring the story of Ellen and Rolinda Sharples, the family of women who founded Bristol’s first art gallery and the early Bristol School of Artists

• A suite of community engagement work in wards around Bristol, telling the story of the city and how a union of unique neighbourhoods has created an overarching city identity today. The heritage of these areas will be explored through shared activities and conversations, which will then be drawn together in writing and illustrations.

• A Community Grant Scheme for projects honouring the 60th anniversary of the Bristol Bus Boycott. Individuals and artists can apply for funds of between £250 and £5,000 to support activities created for, with and by the community. This could include Elder lunches, music workshops, book talks, walking tours, art installations, sporting activities or wider community projects. Applicants simply need to demonstrate how they will make a positive impact on race equity in Bristol.

To apply for the Community Grant Scheme, visit here and download the application form.

• Activities marking the 200th anniversary of Bristol Museums and Art Gallery.

• Research into the 200-year history of the regional chamber of commerce.

• Selected events at October’s Festival of the Future City, offering an opportunity to reflect on and showcase the project, discussing stories about the city and its past, present and future.

Kate Foster, Head of Development at the RWA, says: ‘We’re delighted to be working on a project funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund again, researching the amazing and largely unknown history of the RWA and the amazing legacy left by our indomitable founder, Ellen Sharples, a pioneer in empowering women artists. We’re also looking forward to sharing this with visitors at the RWA once the research has been completed.’

Ruth Myers from Local Learning, says: ‘We are very excited about the opportunity to work with communities across Bristol to uncover the past, both within and beyond living memory and explore together how our local heritage has helped to shape the city over the last 650 years.’

Phil Smith, Managing Director of Business West, which runs Bristol Chamber of Commerce, said: ‘We are delighted to be part of Bristol 650 celebrations and will be using the support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to research our history from 1823, celebrating 200 years of being passionate about Bristol, nurturing what Bristol does best: entrepreneurship and radical thinking. We believe when business succeeds, the result is a better future for everyone.’

As well as funding from the Heritage Fund which will go towards heritage projects within the broader programme, Bristol 650 is receiving additional support from the BIDs, Visit West, RWA, Business West and Bristol Ideas. The three city BIDs (City Centre, Redcliffe and Temple, and Broadmead) are investing over £100,000 into wider Bristol 650 activity.

Vicky Lee, Head of Bristol City Centre BID, says: ‘The three Bristol City Centre Business Improvement Districts are thrilled to be supporting the delivery and promotion of many wonderful events in this special year of celebration for Bristol 650. Our businesses are an integral part of the wider Bristol community and are excited to get involved in many amazing activities including UnicornFest, The Harbour Festival and The Festival of Nature.’

As well as funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund which will go towards heritage projects within the broader programme, Bristol 650 is receiving additional support from the BIDs, Visit West, RWA, Business West and Bristol Ideas. The three city BIDs (City Centre, Redcliffe and Temple, and Broadmead) are investing over £100,000 into wider Bristol 650 activity.

The wider Bristol 650 project has over 120 scheduled events taking place this year – all listed on the Bristol 650 website – and includes projects across the city. Anyone can get involved – visit here to find out about hosting your own activity.