Four artists explore the changing landscape of Bristol city centre in new residency programme, ‘Confluence’
Design by: Marta Celio
This autumn, MAYK is launching a new residency that explores how Bristol's city centre is changing. We have invited four artists to create imaginative, personal responses to the idea of a changing city. Confluence offers unique and fresh perspectives to the discourse around the future of the centre of Bristol, and offers opportunities for audiences to contribute their experiences and thoughts.
Using Bristol’s rich musical heritage as inspiration, MAYK will use the idea of an album to bring together four artists – Asmaa Jama, Verity Standen, Travis Alabanza, and Ryan Convery-Moroney – to develop new ideas that have emerged through conversations about the changing atmosphere of the city.
Each of the artists selected has a close personal relationship with Bristol and represent a diverse mix of art forms and background. Composer and performer Verity Standen has a long history of making work in collaboration with MAYK, most recently with polyphony which was part of Mayfest 2022. Film-maker, photographer, and visual artist Ryan Convery-Moroney was an Artist in Residence with MAYK in 2021. Asmaa Jama is a writer and visual artist who recently exhibited an acclaimed new film work at Spike Island, and writer and performer Travis Alabanza has been blazing a trail in the theatre world with shows such as Burgerz (touring) and Sounds of the Underground (Royal Court).
Each artist will contribute a ‘track’ to the album, be that film, performance, photography or sound. Together with the artists, MAYK will share the outcomes of the residency with audiences through a weekend programme in a city centre location (TBA) between 1 – 3 December 2023.
Matthew Austin, Co-Director of MAYK said “Confluence is such an exciting opportunity for MAYK to do what it does best: explore bold, exciting new ideas with inspiring artists, but to do that within the wider context of a changing city. Bristol is at a turning point, where there is a real chance to seize the opportunities that regeneration offers to place culture at the heart of our future city. The ideas we’re developing with artists are fizzing with potential and offer provocative and meaningful contributions to this vital conversation.”
Tom Littlewood, Director of Ginkgo Projects, who has commissioned the project, said “Working with our clients we continue to champion the role and value of artists' practice within major developments across the city. We are thrilled to have commissioned MAYK to lead this unique artist residency in this historic area of Redcliffe at an exciting point in its development. Confluence and its visionary artists will engage local communities, providing fascinating opportunities for hidden stories to emerge and for new ideas to spark."
MAYK is one of the UK’s leading live performance-producing organisations, with a mission to make important, unexpected, revelatory work with visionary artists that changes our experience of the world and each other. Led by Kate Yedigaroff and Matthew Austin, MAYK was established in 2011, MAYK curates and produces Mayfest – Bristol’s international festival of theatre, and is based at St Anne’s House in Brislington.
Ginkgo Projects is an independent public art and cultural producer. Creating opportunities for artists and designers to work closely with clients and communities, Ginkgo Projects build and reveal places that have a sense of narrative, distinctiveness, and identity. From large to small-scale projects, the team connects people with place by taking a holistic approach to strategy development, cultural partnership building, art curation, and public realm design.
Keep your eyes peeled for more information on the event. Until then, head over to the project page to find out more about Asmaa, Travis, Ryan and Verity.
Confluence is a production by MAYK, commissioned by Ginkgo Projects for The Glassworks with the support of Fresh. To find out more, contact matthew@mayk.org.uk.