24 things to do in Bristol this week, January 23-29 2023

Monday: Beginners black and white photography evening course, St Pauls Learning Centre
The first edition in a six-week long course led by the Real Photography Company out of the St Pauls Learning Centre’s own dark room. The course is aimed at absolute beginners, so no prior knowledge is required.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CneiFv7oM3W/

Tuesday: Wildlife Photography Gallery opening night, Future Leap G Road
The opening night of the sustainable coworking space’s second Wildlife Photography Gallery, where work from local wildlife photographers will be exhibited in Future Leap’s Gloucester Road branch for four weeks. The opening night is a ticketed event, and includes an evening of talks, drinks and an opportunity to meet fellow photographers/wildlife enthusiasts.

The gallery will be available to view for four weeks, but opening night is a ticketed event this Tuesday – photo: Future Leap

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Various dates: Free Exhibitions, RWA
The RWA presents 3 free exhibitions and activities as part of its Season of Photography, opening this weekend. Between Work and Window displays the portraits of RWA Academicians by internationally renowned photographer Anne-Katrin Purkiss. Underexposed, by Alice Hendy, documents the brilliant work of individuals who attend Bristol Community Links. Fancy creating your own photographic work? The Lower Ground Floor is home to PhotoLab, an interactive exhibition where you’ll be encouraged to take part, play and explore.

There are a host of free exhibitions at the RWA – photo: RWA

Wednesday: Blood on the Clocktower – Social deduction game, Replay board game bar
Cheltenham Road’s board game bar hosts an evening of “Blood on the Clocktower” – a bluffing/guessing game where there are two teams of good and evil – and it’s each player’s job to figure out who is on who’s side. The rules are casual and easy to pick up, so don’t be intimidated if you’ve never played before – and each ticket price includes one drink upon entry.

Replay gaming bar, Cheltenham Road – photo: Replay gaming bar

Thursday: Monthly open mic, The Hare on the Hill
The first open mic night of 2023 at Cotham’s cosy pub on the corner. Whether you’re a keen guitarist, an aspiring lyricist or you simply fancy a relaxing pint and some music you haven’t heard before, there is no entry cost or even the need to buy a ticket, so come on down.

The Hare on the Hill – photo: Martin Booth

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Opens Friday: The Fabelmans, Watershed
Steven Spielberg’s warm-hearted coming-of-age drama is a semi-autobiographical story about a young aspiring filmmaker, and a true love letter to cinema.

Friday: Brazen Records Presents: Off The Record, The Crown
Since forming at the tail end of last year, Bristol jungle/hardcore label Brazed Records have quickly established themselves as one of the true go to’s for fresh, exciting tasting breakbeats with a distinct nod to the golden era of the genre. This Friday, label owners Cheetah and Janaway are hosting a night of hardcore energy at the now famed The Crown, and they’re bringing down a host of heavyweight selectors to get your feet well and truly moving.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CmZpd-eJx_4/

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Opens Friday, Panel Discussion Sunday: All the Beauty and the Bloodshed, Watershed
Oscar®-winning filmmaker Laura Poitras (Citizenfour) presents a stirring portrait of renowned artist and activist Nan Goldin, focussing on her fight against Big Pharma.

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Opens this weekend: Season of Photography, RWA
The RWA’s Season of Photography opens this weekend and is a celebration of contemporary photographic practice in all its forms. Your admission ticket covers both Jem Southam’s A Bend in the River, a beautifully observed series of photographs documenting the changes in the environment, and The RWA Photo Open including over 150 works showcasing the sheer quality and range of photographic work being produced by photographers and artists across the UK and abroad today.  The RWA’s Season of Photography is sponsored by MPB.

Jem Southam: A bend in the river – photo: RWA

Saturday: Sh*t Art Club, Bristol Improv Theatre
An opportunity to make incredibly awful artwork, on purpose. You will be led by a host, taking you through various exercises to flex your creative muscles, before (hopefully) culminating in one of the worst pieces of artwork you’ve ever seen or created.

Sh*t art club – photo: Bristol Improv Theatre

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Sunday: Yoga workshop & sound bath, The Mount Without
Join me in this incredible venue for a music-led workshop starting with Face Yoga going into a breath work session, some core activation leading to a vinyasa flow and ending with some deep stretch yin yoga & blissful sound bath. Finishing with nibbles. Leaving with a full heart. This space is pure magic and I’m so excited to share with you in there!

https://www.instagram.com/p/ClwI0oQtDBS/

Sunday: Family Business, The Gallimaufry
The incredibly popular weekly hip-hop open mic at Gloucester Road’s jazz pub/wine bar continues this Sunday. Hosted by Bristol household name MĀDŁY, its a chance to discover some exciting hip-hop and poetry talent, and test out some bars of your own, if you’ve got ‘em.

Family business, the gallimaufry – photo: James Koch

And coming soon…

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February 3: Vivaldi’s Four Seasons by candlelight, John Wesley’s New Room
The Bristol Ensemble bring their amazing performances of Baroque masterpieces to the magical and intimate candlelight surroundings of the Wesley Chapel. The Wesley Chapel was built in 1748 so the building is a contemporary of much of the music you will hear tonight. Be transported back to the 1700s in this unique and wonderful evening of baroque music, architecture and candlelight.

The candlelit concerts are a tribute to the legends of classical music – photo: Bristol Ensemble

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February 3: Federico Albanese, Bristol Beacon Foyer
Federico Albanese’s contemporary-classical compositions are inflected with jazz, avant-pop and electronica. Whilst piano predominates the Berlin-via-Milan multi-instrumentalist’s work, he also employs a wide range of sounds including tape processing, synthesisers, melodica and electric guitar. Albanese’s latest album ‘Before and Now Seems Infinite’ is his debut outing on Universal’s genre-defying Mercury RX imprint and features guest vocals from Marika Hackman and Ghostpoet. It also sees him explore memory via striking and haunting compositions that create poignantly vivid soundscapes.

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February 4: John-Luke Roberts: A world just like our own, but…, Tobacco Factory Theatres
An Edinburgh Festival sell-out hit, John-Luke Roberts returns to Bristol with a beautiful flight of comedy imagination about all the worlds we don’t live in, which is sneakily about the one we do.
★★★★ –  The Telegraph
★★★★ –  The Guardian

John Luke Roberts at Tobacco Factory Theatres – photo: Tobacco Factory Theatres

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February 8: Siv Jakobsen, The Louisiana
Norwegian musician Siv Jakobsen ushers in a hushed and breathtaking reverence with her songwriting. Her delicate vocals convey an emotive poignancy, underpinned by instrumental accompaniments that take in Jakobsen’s finger-picked guitar playing, soaring strings and striking harp and brass arrangements. Now gearing up to release her third album ‘Gardening’, Jakobsen wrote the recent single ‘Romain’s Place’ whilst touring. The track, taken from her upcoming record highlights Jakobsen’s acute, affecting lyricism and her gracefully haunting folk intonations. Jakobsen has also spent a lot of time on the road, playing shows alongside the likes of Damien Jurado, José González and Susanne Sundfør.

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February 8-11: Big Boys Don’t Cry, Tobacco Factory Theatres
A couple of years ago, Dik and Adam set out to make a new show about being men. In a riot of colour, dance, clowning and puppetry, Dik and Adam take you on a hysterical journey that is full of heart, but close to the bone.

Big Boys Don’t Cry – photo: Tobacco Factory Theatres

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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

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February 14: Valentines Concert, St George’s
A Valentine’s night to remember, featuring some of the most romantic pieces of music ever written, from the worlds of film, opera and classical music performed by the Bristol Ensemble – Bristol’s only professional chamber orchestra. Enjoy well-known themes from Lala Land, Doctor Zhivago, The Godfather and Romeo and Juliet as well as much-loved classics by Beethoven, Elgar, Mascagni, Einaudi and more.

The Bristol Ensemble at St. George’s – photo: Bristol Ensemble

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February 17-25: Emilia, Circomedia (Old Vic Theatre School)
1611. Emilia Bassano becomes the first woman to have poetry published in England – but why do we seldom celebrate this feminist icon? Morgan Lloyd Malcom’s Olivier Award-winning comedy storms into Circomedia this February. Directed by Sally Cookson, Emilia is a riotous and vivid theatrical journey from page to stage.

Emilia is one of the latest productions from the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School – photo: BOVTS

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March 10-18: This House, Tobacco Factory Theatres (Old Vic Theatre School)
UK politics is in crisis. The country is in economic peril. Sound familiar? Well, this time it’s 1974 and a hung parliament means those in power will do anything to survive. At a time when every vote counts, James Graham’s explosive comedy-thriller This House propels into the world of 1970s Westminster.

This House, Bristol Old Vic Theatre School – photo: BOVTS

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March 19: Trinity Presents: Dundundun, Trinity Centre
Dundundun combines African and Latin rhythms with jazz & electronics to create uplifting soundscapes and deep hypnotic grooves. Packed with a wealth of experience, their respective members have spent the past decade bringing a rich heritage of sound straight out of Bristol’s thriving music scene. + DJ set support from Marla

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March 24: Trinity Presents: Donae’O, Trinity Centre
The producer, songwriter, rapper, and vocalist has been an early adopter of almost all crucial urban movements coming out of the capital; from garage to grime to the UK funky-inspired house that continues to influence today’s charts. With his new album which dropped in 2022, the time has come for this polymath to slide back into the spotlight. + DJ set Support from Yemz

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DaRvnS9NY18

Main Photo: Bristol Improv Theatre

Read next:

• Two of Bristol’s newest restaurants both named in UKs top 100
• Inside the Wildlife Photographer of the year exhibition
• Forest Live lineup announced for 2023

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