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Bristol Open Doors launches app
Bristol Open Doors‘ new app lets users explore the city through three audio tours.
Debuted at Bristol Open Doors 2020, Vibrant Bristol: Street Art and the Painted City, Hidden Harbour: Stories of a Radical City and Historic Bristol: Through Time and Temple takes listeners through the city.
Experienced by more than 2,500 people during Bristol Open Doors in September, the tours are available within the Hidden Bristol app for £5.99 and are curated by Bristol’s historians, theatre-makers and key voices. Listeners will hear from everyone from ship’s captains to artists to craft brewers as they explore the city’s secrets and meet the people who have shaped it.
is needed now More than ever
“Bristol Open Doors is an important civic event for Bristol; a shared celebration of learning, powered by hundreds of Bristolians for thousands of visitors from every postcode,” said mayor Marvin Rees. “In a challenging year we were happy to see the event innovate, and use technology to share different perspectives on our city, our history and our future.
“Coming at such a crucial time when many residents of the city are choosing to look behind statues and find the real history of our city, Hidden Bristol encouraged people to step into each other’s shoes bringing us together safely as a city with an exciting opportunity to better understand how we have become the city we are today.”
Bristol Open Doors has launched an app
Each tour takes the listeners through a different part of Bristol. Recorded in Bedminster, Vibrant Bristol explores the street art scene in Bristol, whereas Hidden Harbour, curated by former city poety Vanessa Kisuule, looks at 1,000 years of Bristol history.
The area now known as Temple Quarter, located near Temple Meads train station is the ruin of a sacred temple and forms part of the Historic Bristol tour.
The three tours were created in response to the pandemic. Ordinarily a chance to discover parts of the city normally closed to the public, the event had to adapt to the ongoing situation – hence the creation of Covid-safe tours. Anna Rutherford, director of Bristol Open Doors says: “Each Hidden Bristol tour features characters from all corners of the city and can be enjoyed safely alone or within bubbles, families and household groups.”
Three tours take listeners across the city
Together the three tours take users through time and temple, from the Crusades to present day.
The project is presented in partnership with Visit Bristol, Arts Council England and Historic England and is suitable for explorers of all ages, all that’s needed is a smart phone and headphones. Hidden Bristol is available to download in the App Store and Android Store.
All photos: Paul Blakemore
Read more: Explore the hidden history of Bristol
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