Future events / Bristol24/7
10 years of Bristol24/7: The Invisible Circus
The seventh issue of Bristol24/7’s magazine came out in April 2015 featuring the incredible team from the Invisible Circus.
As part of our series looking at some of our former magazine covers from over the past decade, we’re looking at what these “mythical band of troubadours and artist clowns” are up to today.
The Invisible Circus were on our seventh cover, in April 2015 just as they geared up to perform at the Bristol Old Vic
Doug Francisco of the Invisible Circus told Bristol24/7: “The last ten years have seen a lot of change in the cultural and creative landscape of the city as the waves of economic regeneration and with it, gentrification has forced many grassroots organisations and the artist population out.”
is needed now More than ever
The Invisible Circus has performed on numerous locations across Bristol – photo: Andre Pattenden
Francisco added: “We have welcomed a new more well-heeled clientele to live in our city centre buildings, sending property prices skyrocketing and the very culture that attracted them, into the shadows.”
The circus artists found a permanent home in St Philip’s at the Unit 15 space, which has now become synonymous with an “internationally renowned creation space”. But unfortunately, not for long.
Francisco shared: “For the past 11 years this project has hosted all kinds of large-scale creative companies to develop their work, alongside running free residencies and low-cost member training for the local circus community.
But Unit 15 is closing down permanently at the end of October as the company has been forced out by London developers who, Francisco said, “ironically claim to have culture and social value at the heart of everything they do”
He added: “The irony as ever was not lost on the Invisibles who staged a farewell show at Unit 15 called Welcome to the Future, which parodied their situation and called out both the developers and Bristol City Council for the lack of support for the creative industries in Bristol as the city changes before our very eyes.
“The loss of Unit 15 was quoted by many of the city’s circus performers as critical to them being able to operate in the city, impacting the UK’s most prolific circus community which features many other world-class companies including Circomedia, Cirque Bijou and our dedicated festival Circus City.”
The Invisible Circus will perform a series of winter events in Bristol – photo: Colin Moody
The Invisible Circus have maintained their creativity through these tough times by performing shows at the Bristol Old Vic, the Loco Klub, and at festivals including Boomtown and Glastonbury.
But will Bristol be able to witness their magic again soon?
Francisco said: “On November 2 and December 7, (there will be) a series of winter events which will invite Bristolians to explore the hidden stories and characters of the Christmas Steps, as well as some exciting collaborative projects with existing venues are in the making.
“Without a meanwhile space to operate from, the way the Invisible Circus invites national and international artists to the city will have to change, permanently.
“The city will need to come together to prioritise artists and creative projects and make lower rents a possibility, or risk losing the cultural heart of the city forever.”
Tickets for our ten-year anniversary party are available now on the Spiegeltent website
This article is part of 10 Years of Bristol24/7, a series taking a look back at some of our magazine covers ahead of our anniversary party at the Spiegeltent on November 30. To get your tickets, visit christmasspiegeltent.co.uk/product/b10-celebrating-10-years-of-bristol-24-7-30th-nov.
Main photo: Colin Moody
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