Things To Do / Sponsored
22 things to do in Bristol this week, August 21-27 2023
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Monday-Thursday: L’immensità, Watershed
Set in 1970’s Rome, Penélope Cruz is Clara, a free-spirited mother to a teenager who is beginning to question their identity.
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Monday: Community Tango Practice, The Mount Without
Be moved by your community, come learn the original essence of tango: community: coming heart to heart and hearing the beating soul of your tribe, where all are welcomed, all are respected. All ages, all abilities, all creeds.
Community Tango Practice – photo: The Mount Without
Monday: Welsh singing workshop, Bristol Folk House
Whether you’re as Welsh as they come or you thought Wales was just an animal until now, there is an exciting opportunity at Park Street’s folk house this week. Taught by “Best Solo Artist” winner at the Welsh Folk Awards, Gwilym Bowen Rhys will teach you elements of the language necessary to sing powerful, heartfelt ballads in it.
Welsh singing workshop at Bristol Folk House – photo: Bristol Folk House, Headfirst
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Tuesday-Sunday: Up, Watershed
Carl Fredricksen, a retired balloon salesman, is part rascal, part dreamer and ready for his last chance at high-flying excitement. Tickets £5.00 for all.
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Tuesday: Breath Led Tuesdays with Lucy Spragge, The Mount Without
A monthly immersion in transformational breathwork and Kundalini Global Yoga in the stunning candle lit setting of the Mount Without.
Breath Led Tuesdays – photo: The Mount Without
Tuesday: Stay Late, Late Drive, The Vestibules
Located in The Vestibules adjacent to City Hall, the Artspace Lifespace mini-gallery hosts a photographic exhibition focusing on the commute, with everything from haunting studies on British motorways to pieces on motel occupancy and the like, with a hyper focus on void, liminal ephemeral spaces.
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Now-September 10: Making the City Home, RWA
Head down to our Lower Ground Floor galleries for Making the City Home, an exhibition of textiles by women living in Bristol, showcasing the visual stories of women who have made Bristol their home. Women from Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Pakistan, India and other countries have worked together to create beautiful textiles that describe how they journey through the city, and which places and things are important to them. Refugee Women of Bristol and Dhek Bhal women’s group are among the exhibitors.
Making the City Home – photo: RWA
Wednesday: Johnny Osbourne (Live), Lost Horizon
One of the most highly regarded Jamaican reggae/dancehall singers of all time, Johnny Osbourne has been doing it since the ‘70s. If you know your reggae, you’ll definitely have heard the classic “Truths and Rights”, along with a host of other classics from his discography – he’ll be performing live at Lost Horizon this week.
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Open Tuesday-Sunday: Free exhibitions, RWA
Our First Floor galleries may be closed as we get ready for the much-awaited 170 Annual Open Exhibition, but we still have loads of FREE spaces, exhibitions and activities for you and your family to enjoy this Summer Holiday. Head down to the Family room and find, toys, games, books, craft materials, and more. Have you seen our BRAND NEW Puppet Theatre. Pick up and fill in the Family Activity Guide and why not enter our Unicorn Colouring Competition.
RWA Exterior – photo: RWA
Thursday: Creating a clay figurine of the goddess, L’étoile Studio
A monthly session at the Old Market arts studio/space, where each month a new goddess is the focus of the day, and participants spend two and a half hours crafting their own version of said goddess out of clay. Places are limited to only 8 participants per session, so get in quick if this sounds like a bit of you.
Sacred Feminine goddess model making at L’etoile Studio – photo: Sacred Feminine
Thursday: Martin Smith: Matters of life & death, The Eastfield Inn
The BAFTA award-winning documentary filmmaker comes to Henleaze to discuss and release his new book. Written during isolation during the COVID pandemic, Smith reflects on his childhood, and the incredible events that brought him to where he is today.
Matters of life and death cover – photo: Martin Smith
Friday: Health & Beauty x SB: Bored Lord, Strange Brew
Spearheading Oakland’s queer dance scene, Bored Lored has a bag full of the silliest, raviest, cheekiest breakbeats imaginable. After a hell of a splashdown set at the brew last year, they’re returning once more for a not to be missed knees-up, supported by Bristol’s own heavy hitter sadsugar.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EeuYwH9htb4
Saturday: Old City Sounds, Old City
This free-to-attend one-day music event will take over King Street, St Stephen’s Church, St Nicholas Street and St Nick’s Market.
St Nicholas Street is one of the bases for Old City Sounds – photo: Betty Woolerton
Saturday & Sunday: East Bristol Brewery Trail, various venues
Six breweries across east Bristol open their doors for the popular event. Make your way to Arbor, Good Chemistry, Left Handed Giant, Little Martha, Moor and Wiper & True. Enjoy the lpcally brewed beer as well as some of Bristol’s best street food traders.
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Saturday & Sunday: Bear garden bank holiday fest, The White Bear
Celebrate the long weekend in St Michael’s Hill at The White Bear, as they host a series of live open air comedy performances, combined with live music, food, beer and wine tastings, vintage clothing retailers, a magician, and DJs to get you on your feet in the evenings.
The two day celebrations will be held in The White Bear’s beer garden – photo: Mia Vines Booth
Sunday: The Cult, Dareshack
An interesting workshop in the Dareshack event space based around introspection and speaking openly about your thoughts and feelings on a specific topic. Bring a blanket and/or a yoga mat, as you’ll be seated on the floor in their large events space, and talked through the workshop by an experienced tutor, with knowledge on how to make you comfortable being vulnerable.
‘The Cult’ workshop at Dareshack – photo: Dareshack
And coming soon…
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August 30: Bristol Beacon presents: The Courettes, Exchange
Armed with a volatile blend of frantic garage rock, doo wop, surf rock and echoes of the girl groups of the 60s, The Courettes are an explosive rock duo hailing from Denmark and Brazil. Described as the musical marriage of The Ronettes and The Ramones (if they met at a wild party at Gold Star Studios’ echo chamber, that is), the duo have become world renowned for their eclectic and cathartic sound, signing to legendary UK label Damaged Goods in 2020 – home to a plethora of legendary acts such as Buzzcocks, Manic Street Preachers and Amyl and the Sniffers. Their third LP, ‘Back In Mono’ was released in autumn 2021 to critical acclaim, with frequent spins from BBC Radio 6, as well as features in Mojo, Classic Rock and Shindig, showcasing the duo’s refined songwriting prowess across 14 tracks of infectious bubblegum punk.
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September 2: Stand up for the weekend with Steve Bugeja & guests, Hen & Chicken
Steve Bugeja is one of the circuit’s most exciting comedians. Steve hosted the BBC Radio 4 series Economics with Subtitles and has made numerous appearances on TV shows including The Russell Howard Hour (Sky One), Love Island: Aftersun (ITV2), Russell Howard’s Stand Up Central (Comedy Central) and Zoe Ball on Saturday (ITV1).
A prolific writer, Steve was a key member of the writing team for The Russell Howard Hour (Sky One) and for Iain Stirling’s CelebAbility (ITV2) and has contributed material to Mock the Week (BBC2), 8 Out of 10 Cats (Channel 4) and BBC Radio 4.
“Bugeja has an eye for original comic detail that’s all his own” The Guardian
“Plentiful jokes and compelling storytelling” — The Scotsman
“Drum-tight, as if polished by a sitcom writers’ room to cram as many jokes in as humanly possible” — Chortle
“Blends the intelligence of a well-crafted hour with some touching emotional honesty” — The Scotsman
Steve Bugeja at the Hen & Chicken – photo: The Comedy Box
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September 2 & 3: Tales from Acorn Wood, Redrgave Theatre
Paul Young has been a major star for four decades. He broke into the big time 40 years ago when No Parlez went to number one and spawned iconic hits like Wherever I Lay My Hat (That’s My Home). Now, on the 40th anniversary of No Parlez, he’s releasing a remarkable new record and publishing his extraordinary memoir, both called Behind The Lens.
Tales from Acorn Wood – photo: Redgrave Theatre
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September 8: Paul Young – Behind the Lens, Redgrave Theatre
Paul Young has been a major star for four decades. He broke into the big time 40 years ago when No Parlez went to number one and spawned iconic hits like Wherever I Lay My Hat (That’s My Home). Now, on the 40th anniversary of No Parlez, he’s releasing a remarkable new record and publishing his extraordinary memoir, both called Behind The Lens.
Paul Young Behind The Lens – photo: Redgrave Theatre
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September 9: Stand up for the weekend with Sara Barron and guests, Hen & Chicken
Sara Barron is a relentlessly honest and desperately funny comic, relating brutal and sometimes filthy truths in a warm and welcoming way.
After a number of years in the UK, any semblance of American positivity has been stripped away, replaced by withering British cynicism. There’s certainly more than a hint of Joan Rivers’ cold contempt as she sneers at the joyous affirmations of others.
Sara couldn’t be brassier, sassier or louder-mouthed if she tried. She parades her sex life, friendships and militant subjectivity across the stage.
“Gleefully profane comic” The Guardian
“Barron proves herself an entertaining, no-nonsense presence” Chortle
“Explosive energy and beautifully crafted, no-nonsense stand-up… a masterful performance. Highly recommended” Sunday Times
Sara Barron at the Hen & Chicken – photo: The Comedy Box
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September 19: Bristol Beacon presents: Erland Cooper & Ensemble, Redgrave Theatre
Hailed as ‘nature’s songwriter’, for his work celebrating themes of the natural world, place, people and time – radical Scottish composer Erland Cooper pushes his connection to the environment even further into unchartered new realms on his latest album, ‘Folded Landscapes’. Cooper, who has always been comfortable merging music with evocative storytelling and conceptual art, works through a lens of urgent observations surrounding climate change as the focal point on this project. Using drastic temperature changes – from sub-zero to hottest on record – he developed this piece for chamber string ensemble, piano, voice, harpsichord, electronics & field recordings. Support comes from Midori Jaeger.
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September 23: Bristol Ensemble presents: Classics by candlelight, Red Lodge
Be bathed in the warming glow of a candlelight concert! Step into the hidden gem of the 1904 Arts Club, Clifton, and experience a beautiful evening of classical music surrounded by stunning candlelight in one of the most unique, quirky spaces in Bristol.
The 1904 arts club is a unique ‘tithe barn’ styled performance hall hidden away behind the Red Lodge Museum just off Park Street. This space is full of quirky artefacts and is the perfect backdrop for a relaxing evening of stunning music to candlelight.
Arranged for string quartet, flute and piano, the programme includes compositions from Mozart, Bach, Handel, Gambarini & Haydn. Be delighted by new arrangements of well-known pieces in a huge range of musical styles! Baroque and classical era works have been honed in arrangements that give familiar music a new lease of life.
Classics by candlelight – photo: Bristol Ensemble
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September 24: Bristol Ensemble presents: The Hunchback of Notre Dame, St George’s
Come and experience this epic story and production with the Bristol Ensemble – A Flicker Alley restoration with live orchestra celebrating 100 years since it was first released in September 1923.
Hunchback is a huge production: the sets depicting 15th-century Paris covered nineteen acres of Universal Pictures’ back lot and included the façade of Notre Dame Cathedral. Filming took six months and the climactic sequence employed two thousand extras, but it’s Lon Chaney’s performance that makes the character unforgettable.
The Hunchback of Notre Dame premiered at New York’s Astor Theatre on September 2,1923.The success of the film was immediate; it made Carl Laemmle and Universal Pictures a fortune, and turned Lon Chaney into a screen legend. This edition is restored and mastered by Flicker Alley from a multi-tinted 16mm print struck in 1926 from the original camera negative. Screened with a symphonic score by Robert Israel.
The Hunchback of Notre Dame – photo: Bristol Ensemble
Main photo: Good Chemistry
Read next:
- 46 things to do in Bristol in August 2023
- Preview: Forwards Festival
- Old City Sounds announce full lineup
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