Art / KNowle West
Exploring south Bristol, the new wild west
“What do we do when our communities are broken? When we are left alone to pick up the pieces and brush off the dust?”
These are the questions asked by Tom Stockley in a new audio project, documenting 2020 through the eyes of Knowle West residents.
Tom, known as TS Idiot, has created The New Wild West, a ten-minute-long spoken word audio documentary about joy and resilience of the people living in the south Bristol neighbourhood.
is needed now More than ever
Using interviews, field recordings, spoken word and electronic music, Tom paints a picture of a community fighting for positive change.
“I moved to the area (Knowle West) in 2018,” says Tom. “It reminded me in a lot of ways of my childhood on the edge of a council estate in Torquay – areas that are left abandoned by those in power but have incredible stories of humanity if you invest in the communities that live there.
“It’s a community that’s the butt of a lot of prejudice, something that’s not uncommon for a lot of outskirt areas of Bristol, and I wanted to put that right by telling the stories of some of the people I’ve met over the last few years.”
The documentary premieres on BBC Radio Bristol on Sunday, November 15. Image: Tom Stockley
Tom’s work, which straddles social activism and performance, wanted to show others what the people of Knowle West experience, and what their lives have been like during 2020.
Working with Georgie Biggin, who performs as GINS, and and George Thornton from Quit Yr Job Records, who created a soundscape for the piece, Tom spoke with people on furlough from work, those living on the “forgotten estates”, and those making change in Knowle West.
Supported by Calling The Shots and with mentoring from Makala Cheung, known musically as KALA CHNG, The New Wild West – so called after an article in the Guardian described the area as such – Tom used the project to reclaim that identity and “uphold the area as a new frontier for how under-supported communities can rebuild themsleves as examples of hope and resilience”.
The documentary uncovers a host of unsung heroes, such as Skemer Winters, a boxing coach who works with some of the most troubled and abandoned people in his community to give them hope and some kind of future.
“I hope people think, particularly in the context of the last few months, about the less visible communities on our doorstep,” says Tom.
“I honestly think that communities like Knowle West can teach us so much, at a time when the arts, local politics and our general social security is at risk if we become too complacent.
“If you look beyond the glamour of Stokes Croft, North Street and Whiteladies Road there are hundreds of tiny actions of resilience and resistance going on all around us.”
Main photo: Lowie Trevena
Read more: Breakfast with Bristol24/7: Kala Cheung
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