17 things to do in Bristol this week, January 9-15 2023

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Monday-January 19: Empire of Light, Watershed
Oscar®-winning director and writer Sam Mendes returns with this enchanting, poignantly observed and beautifully acted drama about love, life and the magic of cinema, set in an English coastal town against the social turmoil of the early 1980s.

Monday: Bleep Klub Session 14, All Hallows Hall
An open space for VJs and sound makers alike to bring down their various noise and visual making equipment, meet up with other hardware heads, and experiment with a mighty sound system and a massive white wall – if you’re into your light/sound, you’ll know how rare an opportunity this is.

Bleep Klub, All Hallows Hall – photo: All Hallows Hall

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Now-January 15: The Snow Queen, Tobacco Factory Theatres
This unforgettable folk tale is full of heart, courage and a lot of laughter. Remember to wrap up warm as we hop on-board a Nordic sleigh, adventure through a mystical land of snow and magic, and even fly through the sky with a bicycling reindeer!

The Snow Queen is Bristol Old Vic’s Christmas production – Photo: Bristol Old Vic

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Now-January 22: RWA Heritage Display, RWA
A free exhibition exploring the RWA’s rich history, on display in the Lower Ground Floor. The heritage exhibition explores the RWA’s long and fascinating history, showcasing significant pieces from the RWA’s permanent collection as its backdrop. Discover the history of our beautiful building, the Drawing School and the traditions of the Annual Open Exhibition. From its creation by a major supporter, artist Ellen Sharples, through hard times during the war, and finally to our transformational Light and Inspiration building project and community outreach work, the exhibition brings together art and artefacts from the past 200 years.

RWA Heritage Display -photo: RWA

Tuesday: People’s Art Club & Community Drop-in, PRSC
Get down to the People’s Republic of Stokes Croft on Jamaica Street for their weekly community drop-in and art club. This week will be hosted by Paulo, and it’s open for anyone to come down and try their hand at the various crafts taking place – or even just pop in for a cuppa.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CnCJ7erMcnq/

Wednesday: Artisan Soap Making Workshop, Bedminster
Step into Karen’s home and learn the art of cold process soap making with Margaret May Soaps. You’ll learn the history of the craft, the chemistry behind it, and even be able to make your very own soap “flavour” to take home with you – and if the reviews are anything to go by, you’ll leave with a “supply of soap to last me for months!”

https://www.instagram.com/p/CmzdK7HMVKz/

Thursday: Parasite Screening, Averys Wine Merchants
The seminal South Korean picture was the first non-english speaking feature to win best picture at the Academy Awards in 2019. Now, witness it in all its eerie majesty again, amongst the bottles in Averys Wine Merchants, where the film itself will be paired with an equally majestic wine, courtesy of Bristol Film Festival.

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Until Thursday: Corsage, Watershed
Vicky Krieps stars as Empress Elizabeth ‘Sissi’ of Austria in this witty, sexy and distinctly postmodern vision of her life, winner of the Best Film award at this year’s London Film Festival.

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Starts Friday: Making Music for Mental Health, Trinity Centre
Free, weekly music sessions for 16-25 year olds, exploring different ways of making sounds and creating music in a group. This is a space for you to experiment with sounds, express yourself creatively, and connect with others through music. Absolutely no musical experience necessary – instruments will be provided, using our voices and using body percussion, but please feel free to bring instruments along if you want to!

Making music for mental health – photo: Trinity Centre

Friday: Ghost Hunt, Warmley Clock Tower
Those of a spooky inclination won’t want to miss this one. A late night ghost hunt at an abandoned pin factory in Warmley that has been the alleged host of many a paranormal happening. You’ll be guided by ghost hunters Haunting Nights, and will be exploring the building over six hours, from nine in the evening to three in the morning, in an attempt to make contact with whatever resides within.

Saturday: Chicken 4 Ways, Little Kitchen Cookery School
Learn how to get the most out of your food with this chicken cookery class with little kitchen. Across the three hour workshop, you’ll learn how to efficiently joint and use an entire chicken, creating four separate, delicious meals – all from the same animal.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cm_gji_s56I/

Sunday: The F Word, The Island
An exciting one day only exhibition in the tunnels of The Island, showcasing a host of up and coming female artists and photographers. The exhibition is free to attend, and will be showing the work of 20 local female artists from 11am until 9pm, celebrating the power of the female gaze.

The F Word, The Island – photo: The F Word

And coming soon…

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January 19: The Tonic Sessions: Liane Carroll, Bristol Beacon Foyer
The first artist ever to win two BBC Jazz Awards in the same year, for Best Vocalist and Best of Jazz, Liane Carroll is a dynamic vocalist and pianist whose amazing talent has been captivating audiences around the world. She is recognised as one of the finest singer/pianists on the scene, working with the likes of Gerry Rafferty, Ladysmith Black Mambazo and Paul McCartney, and has been a featured performer at Glastonbury Festival. A world-class performer, Liane’s powerful blues-tinged voice combined with strong piano playing and exciting infectious material, not to mention a wicked sense of humour, make this a truly remarkable gig.

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January 22: Kayhan Kalhor & Erdal Erzincan, St George’s Bristol
The ongoing collaborations between Iranian artist Kayhan Kalhor and Erdal Erzincan fuse the respective traditions of Persia and Ottoman Turkey. Each draws on the folk and classical heritage of their homeland, with Grammy Award winner Kalhor being an acclaimed player of the kamancheh, a Persian spiked fiddle, whilst Erzincan is renowned for his mastery of the Turkish baglama, a long-necked lute. Ever since the pair released their album The Wind in 2006 they have continued to collaborate, their vibrant virtuosic explorations of Middle Eastern classical instrumentation creating striking and trance-like arrangements.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOAnjA6kzGs

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January 27: Teachings in Dub: Dub Camp Festival Launch Party, Trinity Centre
Trinity and Teachings in Dub are extremely pleased to present the Bristol launch party for the renowned Dub Camp Festival in France. Teachings in Dub and Get Up Association hold the festival in very high regard and share the same vision when it comes to sound system and roots music. We are hosting the return of Bristol’s Qualitex Roots Vibration, to meet the mighty Sinai Sound out of Sheffield – two sounds, one arena!

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February 11: Tom Stade – The High Road, Redgrave Theatre
With impeccable style, and his usual sense of mischief, the Canadian comedy legend goes to places that others dare not tread. Join this hilarious trip as Tom travels the High Road…

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February 11 & 12: The Smartest Giant in Town, Redgrave Theatre
This heart-warming tale about friendship and helping those in need is brought to life in a musical, puppet-filled adventure, following on from Little Angel Theatre’s best selling adaptations of Julia Donaldson’s picture books including The Singing Mermaid and The Everywhere Bear. 

The Smartest Giant in Town comes to Redgrave Theatre this February – photo: Redgrave Theatre

Main Photo: Julian Preece

Read next: 

• Sudden closure of one of Bristol’s most opulent restaurants
• 44 things to do in Bristol in January 2023
• Bristol Mind presents blue Monday comedy fundraiser

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