Things To Do / Sponsored
24 things to do in Bristol this week, October 7-13 2024
Monday: Migrant Women Talk: Layla Ismail and Negat Hussein, Wellspring Settlement
Layla Ismail and Negat Hussein of Refugee Women of Bristol are two leading activists in whose work has created many community and grassroots initiatives highlighting the needs of migrant women in Bristol.
Refugee Women of Bristol are directly governed by women of the refugee and asylum seeking community – photo: Refugee Women of Bristol.
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Monday-Thursday: A Different Man, Watershed
Director Aaron Schimberg reunites with actor Adam Pearson for this darkly comic tale of a man with two faces, starring Sebastian Stan. Having been cast in corporate training videos most of his acting life, Edward (Stan) undergoes a medical procedure to drastically transform his appearance.
A Different Man – photo: Watershed
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Monday: Neil Charles: Dark Days, Bristol Beacon
The great composer and bass player Neil Charles brings his new project Dark Days to Lantern Hall. Inspired by writer James Baldwin’s searing essays this concert marks 100 years since Baldwin’s birth and delivers a dramatic and engaging take on contemporary black music. Featuring vocalist Cleveland Watkiss, drummer Mark Sanders, pianist Pat Thomas and Charles himself, this will be an unmissable performance.
Neil Charles – photo: Bristol Beacon
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Monday-Thursday: The Outrun, Watershed
After a decade away in London, 29-year-old Rona (Saoirse Ronan) returns home to the Orkney Islands. Sober but lonely, she tries to suppress her memory of the events which set her on this journey of recovery.
The Outrun – photo: Watershed
Tuesday: Alternative Collage, Cafe Kino
Located in the basement of Cafe Kino, they will be holding a creative multimedia collage working shop, working in 2D and 3D formats. They’ll be providing materials and it’s welcome to beginners and seasoned artists alike.
The vegan and vegetarian co-op is often open to event hire in the evenings – photo: Cafe Kino.
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Tuesday: Breath led with Lucy, The Mount Without
Join Lucy for an immersion in transformational breathwork, yoga and sound bath in the beautiful candlelit setting of The Mount Without. Breath is a powerful tool we can harness to regulate the nervous system, release stress and tension, and enter a deep state of calm and presence.
Wednesday: Mental health treatment from 1861 to 1990s, Glenside Hospital Museum
The museum’s mission it is to destigmatise mental illness and learning difficulties by bringing attention to former practices and self care. In this event they will be putting on display a series of treatments that were formally used on patients in the hospital before the 21st century.
The museum recently celebrated 40 years – photo: Glenside Museum Hospital
Wednesday: Rachel Baiman, Strange Brew
Brittle, old-timey tunes, all skeletal Bluegrass and wind-blown Americana and a voice that is simple and sparse.
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Thursday: Breathwork, Yoga & Sound, Lucy Spragge
Join Lucy for an immersion in transformational breathwork, yoga and sound bath in the beautiful candlelit setting of Yogasara. Breath is a powerful tool we can harness to regulate the nervous system, release stress and tension, and enter a deep state of calm and presence.
Thursday: Timestalker + Q&A with director Alice Lowe, Watershed
Starring in and directed by Alice Lowe. this is a romantic comedy with a difference. In similar fashion to Groundhog Day, the film sees heroine Agnes repeatedly fall for the wrong guy throughout different time periods. Following the showing, audiences can partake in a Q&A.
Thursday: Anna Erhard, Dareshack
Berlin-based singer-songwriter Anna Erhard is winding her way to Wine Street.
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Friday: John Nichol’s The Unknown Warrior, Redgrave Theatre
During World War I, over one million British soldiers were lost, many never identified or properly buried. John Nichol’s theatre tour retraces the journey of the Unknown Warrior, buried in Westminster Abbey. Through visuals, sound, and personal stories, audiences experience the emotional power of remembrance and sacrifice.
John Nichol’s – photo: Redgrave Theatre
Friday & Saturday: Forbidden Worlds Film Festival, Bristol Megascreen
Forbidden Worlds Film Festival returns with ‘The Big Scream’; with each of the six films preceded by a horror short.
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Friday-November 2: FEAR Scream Park, Avon Valley
Get ready for #ABloodyGoodNight this October at the multi-award winning FEAR Scream Park. The event features 5 immersive, ‘scare’ attractions, roaming street theatre, fire & laser shows, thrill rides and Halloween festival vibes. It’s an adrenaline fuelled, laugh along event not to be missed!
FEAR – photo: Avon valley
Friday-October 19: Papaya Festival, Old Market Assembly & Wardrobe Theatre
A music and theatre festival celebrating Anglo-Latinx artists in Bristol. Curated by Popelei, the festival programme includes theatre, live music, film and discussions.
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Friday: Curtis Eller’s American Circus, Cube
Promising carnivalesque “avant-garde” Americana with a dose of vitriolic punk.
Curtis Eller’s American Circus will be travelling across the UK as part of their ‘Another Nice Mess Tour’ – photo: Curtis Eller
Saturday: eat:Bedminster, East Street
More than 80 food and drink stalls are expected to attend the eat:Bedminster event as it returns for its third year.
There are things to do for visitors of all ages at eat:Bedminster, which is being supported this year by developer City & Country – photo: eat:Bedminster
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Saturday-November 3: Destination Old Market: A Sound Odyssey
Uncover new music as Old Market businesses and shops become DIY venues. Lineup includes Copper Sounds + Sarahsson, Hibiscus, Hiphoppapotamus, Young Echo and Josephine Gyasi.
A Sound Odyessy – photo: Old Market Assembly
Saturday: The Bristol Commons – Autumn Gathering, Circomedia
With a focus on joy and creativity, the aim of the Autumn Gathering is to create discussion about the future of Bristol. “Nurturing a culture of collaboration and cultivate a network of reciprocity between communities and organisations.”
The Bristol Commons is currently curating their first working manifesto – photo: The Bristol Commons
Saturday & Sunday: Open Studios, Centrespace Studios
The free event will be open from 11am till 5pm showcasing three floors of artists, designers and makers who work across a diverse range of disciplines including jewellery, upholstery, ceramics, illustration, printmaking, sculpture, and much more.
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Saturday & Sunday: Open studios, The Island
Enjoy weekend-long programme of events including a building history, yoga, juggling and contemporary dance.
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Saturday & Sunday: Bristol Radical Film Festival, Cube
The BRRF team say that at their events, “films are a pretext for action and debate as much as they are important aesthetic and cultural objects in themselves. We always have a discussion or Q&A after our screenings, as we know that the films we screen are part of larger cultural movements that audiences engage with, rather than simply objects of consumption.”
Saturday & Sunday: West Bristol Arts Trail, various venues
This weekend is the 17th year of open homes and studios in Clifton, Redland and Hotwells.
Amy Hutchings embraces the hand-drawn and handprinted, playing with descriptive line, abstract colour and texture
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Sunday: Sinfonia of London, Bristol Beacon
In a special afternoon concert, the all-star players of John Wilson’s Sinfonia of London make their Bristol debut. The concert opens with the show-stopping opening number PatterSongs, originally commissioned by the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic from Liverpool-born composer Kenneth Kesketh, followed by Shostakovich’s intricate, imaginative Cello Concerto No.2. The Orchestra’s sound is a match made in heaven with the music of Rachmaninov, and the concert closes with his rarely heard Symphony No.1.
Sinfonia of London – photo: Bristol Beacon
Sunday: Words for Gaza, Malcolm X Centre
For their first-ever event, Words for Gaza will be hosting poets, authors and speakers from Bristol and across the South West to showcase powerful literary expressions.
Words for Gaza is a literary fundraiser for the people of Palestine
Sunday: Cook For Palestine, Wilsons
Redland restaurant Wilsons are hosting their first ever fundraising lunch for Cook For Palestine, in collaboration with Palestinian chef Jenan Ashi.
Cook For Palestine will raise vital funds for the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza – image: Cook For Palestine
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Sunday: Destination Old Market: A Theatrical Promenade
Also on October 13, Oct 20, Oct 27 & Nov 3: Uncover the captivating lives and stories that have shaped Bristol’s Old Market into one of the city’s most memorable streets. Meet a cast of characters as they take you on a whistle-stop tour through the lives and loves that make Bristol’s Old Market one of the most memorable streets in the city. Written by Edson Burton & Tom Marshman.
A Theatrical Promenade – photo: Old Market Assembly
And coming soon…
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October 16: The Eagles Greatest Hits – For Orchestra, Bristol Ensemble
The Bristol Ensemble bring you a magical night of The Eagles Greatest Hits, specially arranged for the orchestra, keeping the iconic rock feeling while fully integrated into the symphonic sound. Following sold out performances and five star reviews of Dark Side of the Moon, Tubular Bells and The Beatles, this will be another epic night to remember.
Be Eagles – photo: St George’s Bristol
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October 18: Oisin Leech, Folk House
Irish indie-folk musician Oisín Leech, known for his soulful work with The Lost Brothers, performs at Bristol’s Folk House on October 18th. Expect an intimate evening of heartfelt melodies, rich storytelling, and acoustic folk inspired by Americana and traditional Irish influences.
Oisin Leech – photo: Crosstown Concerts
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October 19: Emma Sidi is Sue Gray, Redgrave Theatre
The star of Starstruck, Ghosts and the current season of Taskmaster brings her brand new character-comedy phenomenon to Bristol, fresh off a rave-reviewed, sold out run at the Edinburgh Fringe. Emma Sidi is an acclaimed character comedian. And now she’s Sue Gray.
Emma Sidi – photo: Matt Stronge
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October 19: Steve Reich – Different Trains, Bristol Ensemble
Different Trains was a novel experiment, using recorded speech as a source for melodies taken from interviews with people in the US and Europe about the years leading up to, during, and immediately after World War II. The concert will also feature music from three leading UK female composers; Hannah Kendall, Anna Meredith and Carmen Ho.
Bristol Ensemble Contemporary – photo: Bristol Ensemble
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October 30: Los Bitchos, SWX
Genre blending fusion band Los Bitchos are bringing their unique sound to Bristol this month! They play SWX on October 30th. Tickets are running low, get them while you can!
Los Bitchos – photo: Tom Mitchell
Main photo: Visit Bristol
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