‘Noel West’: shining a light on Bristol’s brightest corner at Christmas

Noel West is a unique, immersive seasonal production from Lights! Lights! Lights! celebrating the festive landscape of Knowle West.

Local partners include Knowle West Media Centre, Filwood Community Centre, Knowle West Alliance and Tobacco Factory Theatres, with funding from Arts Council England.

Guided by an ensemble cast, the show is a “transportive, whistle-stop tour” that intends to shine a light on the collective spirit and Christmas traditions of the community that inspired it, with lots of surprises along the way.

Local artists Megan Clark-Bagnall and Claudia Collins – better known as Meg & Claud – have 20 years of making socially engaged experiences between them, including Filwood Fantastic Golf and Art Club.

Together, they have co-created this experience with fellow residents, for whom the opening and closing nights of the run will be free and VIP.

They describe Noel West as “an illuminating, real-life tale of human spirited generosity; staged against the backdrop of the cost of living and environmental crises… a magical, transportive experience; an exploration, a celebration, a moment in time…”

The project will be followed up in January with a series of creative wellbeing sessions exploring ways in which to spread light in the darkest time of the year.

In the run-up to the show, which takes place from December 14-18, Meg and Claud told Bristol24/7 more its origins.

Noel West – poster: Lights! Lights! Lights!

What are your personal memories of seeing the Christmas lights in Knowle West?

Meg: “I’ve lived in Knowle West for seven years and I’ve always loved the lights. Whenever I have someone come and stay with me from my home in Derbyshire, at Christmas time I make everyone a hot chocolate and we drive around looking at them.

“In 2020, the year of lockdown, when Ian and Anne of Coopers Light show did their lights for the first time, they made me feel this ‘camp as Christmas’, really happy feeling. They have these big letters JOY outside their house, and have had them every year since.

“It’s a reminder that art has that purpose of joy, and the houses give you that feeling – and they bring it for free, too – it’s a free Christmas buzz. So while it’s cold outside, as cheesy as it sounds, the lights make you feel all tingly and warm.”

Claudia: “The warmth of them is what gets me really excited. You wouldn’t normally be walking the streets at winter, it’s freezing, but you actually walk around the neighbourhood and it makes you slow down and appreciate where we live.”

Lights! Lights! Lights! pilot, Knowle West, 2022 – photo: Paul Blakemore

Can you describe what is so special about this collective and celebratory effort to mark the season?

Claudia: “We started doing this, or an iteration of it, when we first started working together a few years ago. We started with A Winter Wonder, where we walked around the streets, and there’s something really special about doing it together. Everyone would share their story of those they knew, and you’d get to know people in a different way – learning why they do their lights the way they do. It really connects the community together.”

Meg: “People like putting lights on their houses because they love seeing people enjoying it, and walking past with a smile. When we spoke to Ian and Anne, they told us they do it for their neighbours; it’s a way of people saying Merry Christmas to the street, and to people that they don’t know. During the cold, wintery months that’s something that’s really well received.”

What is its role in bringing the residents of Knowle West together at this time of year?

Meg: “Christmas in Knowle West is not like Christmas anywhere else in the city – it’s better. It’s also Bristol’s best kept secret about the area. People just do Christmas here really, really well. It’s an act of giving and an act of joy, and an act of celebrating, and bringing light in to this dark time.

“But with a cost of living crisis, and an environmental crisis, we’re going through a lot right now. I think the Noel West project is about shining a light on people who are shining their lights. But it’s a two-stranded thing. We want to continue nourishing our community once they’ve taken their lights down.

“So after the Christmas show, in the New Year we’re hosting weekly wellbeing sessions focused on what lights you up, harnessing the joy that those lights give you, and taking them with you in to the New Year – when the bills are landing on the doormat, and times are really hard.”

Photo: Paul Blakemore

In the making of Noel West, what decisions did you make in deciding how best to structure and show off the spectacle?

Claudia: “We sent out letters to the whole community and we did a lot of door-step chats with people to find out to what degree residents would like to be involved in the show. Some people were happy just to share their story, and for us to retell it, whereas others were happy to be part of the recording themselves.”

Meg: “We have community members involved in dancing, and in a theatrical spectacular, so we have different levels of participation from the community. It wouldn’t have been possible to put this together without some research and development from our pilot last year, when we had a chance to meet people on their doorsteps, and find out where they’re at. We’ve shaped the show around what suits the project aesthetically, and where we need bits of interaction.”

Was it important to introduce show-goers to some of the people decorating their houses as part of the experience, and if so, what was the impact of this?

Claudia: “Yes, particularly Anne and Ian’s house. Ian is a bus driver who also does a lot for the local community including at Redcatch Community Garden. It feels really important that he’s getting to share his story about how and why he does what he does. It’s quite inspiring to hear about his use of LED lights, and the different impact it has on the environment…”

Meg: “…and on his bank account! He’s very proud to tell you about the cost-effectiveness of LED lighting, so that’s a really wonderful and generous thing to share.”

Claudia: “As well as that, we did a workshop with the comedian Amy Mason at Knowle West Media Centre with young people, and having young voices in the show felt really important; jokes that they’ve told will be peppered in to the story. There’s lots of different people’s voices, utilised in lots of different ways.”

https://soundcloud.com/claudia-collins-634274236/lights-lights-lights-episode-1?utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

How have the local community responded to the making of the show so far?

Meg: “We were just with three of our young dancers and their two mums, who are a big part of the show, they perform on four out of the seven nights. Here’s some quotes from them…

“Becky said: ‘I love Christmas, and my girls love dance. Knowle West gets a bad reputation based on its name, and I want to help change that perspective of the area. I’m also all about mental health and wellbeing, and trying to help other people improve theirs’.

“Lily, who is one of our young dancers, said: ‘I just like dance and I love Christmas! So I can’t wait to be part of this project’.

“Bev said: ‘It’s nice to have something to look forward to, something to plan towards, and to get to meet new people in the community. You also get to show off what your community is really good at’.

“Lexi said: ‘I’m so excited for more people to see my dancing, and I can’t wait to show it off!’

“And McKenzie said: ‘I just love performing, and I love Christmas!’”

Claudia: “And then there’s Jim Smith, who is part of the Filwood Chase History Society, based at Filwood Library. He’s really excited to share more information about both the Bristol Tree Forum, as he’s a local tree-champion, as well as the history of Knowle West, which is really important to the project. It feels like Knowle West voices are being amplified to the wider community of Bristol.”

Finally, what are you most excited about in the run-up to the December dates?

Meg: “I’m excited for being in the thick of doing the run, and seeing the faces of some South Bristol parents, families, or people, who maybe live locally but have never really experienced Knowle West. I’m excited about the surprises that are in store for them, and revealing some of the surprises as the project happens. To see the looks on people’s faces, and find out from their expressions that they’ve learnt something new, will be amazing.”

Claudia: “I can’t wait to see my friends and family, and neighbours who have contributed to the project, and to recognise how excited they are about sharing their stories. There are so many personal memories from bygone Christmases, and a sense of nostalgia of what life was, compared to where we are today; it feels really lovely to explore that with our community.”

Noel West (suitable for all ages) is at Tobacco Factory Theatres from December 14-18. Tickets are available at www.tobaccofactorytheatres.com.

The creative wellbeing sesssions will be running weekly on Wednesdays from January 3 at Knowle West Media Centre, from 10am-12pm. For more information about Meg & Claud and the Noel West project, visit www.lightslightslights.org.

Main photo: Paul Blakemore

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