Coronavirus: the view from Bristol’s galleries and artspaces

Many of Bristol’s arts organisations have made the hard decision to cancel programmed events, festivals, exhibitions, or to completely close their doors due to increasing concerns relating to the spread of coronavirus.

Spike Island, home to a community of over 70 artists, over 35 creative businesses, hundreds of Fine Art students from the University of the West of England, Spike Print Studio and Emmeline Café – have closed their public galleries and cancelled all public events.

Director Robert Leckie says: “Like everyone, we’ve been reacting to the developments and updates on the COVID-19 pandemic day by day. We are guided by the health, safety and wellbeing of our staff, tenants and the public.”

“With many people now self-isolating at home, we’re also working on innovative new ways to engage our audiences online over the coming weeks and months.”

“At the moment we are keeping our building and cafe open pending any further changes in government advice. This is about doing what we can under the circumstances to support our community to continue to operate and make a living.”

Arnolfini has taken a similar stance. “In response to recommendations around curtailing the spread of COVID-19 (Coronavirus), Arnolfini will close our galleries and postpone events until further notice.

“The health and safety of our visitors, as well as our team at Arnolfini and colleagues here at Bush House, remains paramount so while the building remains open we ask anyone with symptoms not to come in and encourage everyone to follow guidelines.”

“We look forward to announcing our exhibition and programme plans before too long and are exploring ways to share contemporary culture with you online in the meantime; please keep an eye on our website and social media.”

Watershed has also closed its doors. “@wshed is far more than just a venue for many of us in Bristol and in the south-west,” said Clare Reddington, Watershed CEO. “For many of us… it is home! Our staff and community have always said they would come to Watershed in an emergency, so it was with heavy hearts that we closed our physical doors yesterday.”

“I am so proud of our team here at Watershed and their brilliant response to the situation. Like so many, we are already making plans to set up our Pervasive Media Studio Lunchtime Talks on our YouTube channel, our Rife magazine content creators are busy making new content and we have many more plans. We promise to let you know what we cook up as soon as we can.”

The popular Lunchtime Talks at Watershed’s Pervasive Media Studio will be documented on the meida centre’s YouTube channel

“We have been deeply touched by all the messages of support and the generosity of our audiences. One audience  member once said that “if Watershed didn’t exist, it would be necessary to invent it”. We are all in uncharted territory, but this is where the creativity and imagination of the culture sector will continue to reimagine and reinvent itself. We look forward to the day we re-open our doors to everyone.”

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Elsewhere the Royal West of England Academy (RWA), the UK’s only regional Royal Academy of Art, has also closed its doors. “We need to raise at least £850,000 each year, including from admission tickets, just to maintain this beautiful building and use it to enable everyone to experience great art here in Bristol,” says director Alison Bevan.

“Over the coming days and weeks, we will be looking at ways in which we can continue, online, to inspire people with art and creativity. This will include our ever-popular Secret Postcard Auction, which will be online only this year: details to follow.”

The RWA’s ever-popular Secret Postcard Auction will move online this year

Among Bristol’s smaller artspaces, That Art Gallery, freshly installed in its new home at 2, Upper Maudlin Street, issue the following statement:

“For the foreseeable future That Art Gallery will be by appointment only. Email info@thatartgallery.com or contact us via social media if you’d like to visit. All available artworks will be available to view on the website and the exhibition dates may well be extended.

“We will be making every effort to adapt our programming and will increase the online documentation of all future exhibitions during these unprecedented times. In order to limit non-essential contact and travel we would now welcome submissions for future exhibitions from local artists, artists working on paper, in small scale and/or digital media.”

“If you’re in Bristol and passing by, we might be working in the gallery. If we are, give us a wave, knock on the door and we’ll let you in – but the door will then be closed and locked.

“All visitors to the gallery must be totally free of COVID-19 symptoms, observe due diligence in regards to hygiene and maintain a personal distance. To the best of our abilities we will keep every communal surface spectacularly clean, and hand sanitiser will be available on entrance and exit.

“This advice may well change in the coming weeks.”

Knowle West Media Centre has also decided to remain open for the time being, including its current exhibition 100 Years of Knowle West Style.

“We believe we should take action to protect our communities and the people we work with,” the Centre’s COVID-19 statement reads. “We are particularly mindful of vulnerable people we come into contact with and the need to be supportive, calm and proactive.

Knowle West Media Centre and its current exhibition ‘100 Years of Knowle West Style’ remains open, while adhering strictly to current guidelines

“We think we should be planning how we might do things differently for a while. For example: supporting learning and social action online, and producing content and prototyping in new ways. We want to ensure we provide access to accurate online information and that no one feels isolated, scared or unsupported during this changing time.

For these reasons we intend to keep our buildings Knowle West Media Centre (Leinster Avenue) and KWMC: The Factory (at Filwood Green Business Park) open for as long as possible, whilst making sure we keep up-to-date with, and follow, government and NHS advice, including regularly washing hands and encouraging ‘social distancing’.”

Keep an eye on websites and social media channels for Bristol’s arts and culture venues – many will take their programmes online. You can also make a donation to any of Bristol’s charitable arts organisations to help sustain them through this difficult time.

Top pic: Installation view of Benoît Maire’s exhibition Thebes at Spike Island, 2018.

Read more: Coronavirus: Bristol arts venues respond: and how you can help