Culture

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Bristol offers something for everyone, whether you’re into music or museums. If it’s film and independent cinema you enjoy, you’ll be spoilt for choice. Try Cube, Watershed, or the newly reopened Everyman theatre. Film clubs abound, from Bristol Bad Film Club to the Sunset Cinema, and if you want to see something seriously retro, visit 20th Century Flicks and pick up some videos.

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Laugh out loud at Bristol Improv Theatre, or visit the oldest continuously running theatre in England, Bristol Old Vic. For other great shows, don’t miss Bristol Hippodrome, or plays at the Wardrobe Theatre and Tobacco Factory.

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Bristol is the birthplace of Arcadia, a show fusing sculpture, engineering, lighting, circus and robotics.

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The At-Bristol Science Centre mixes fun with learning, and you can wonder at the night sky in the UK’s first 3D Planetarium. Learn about the city at the M Shed museum and explore the animal kingdom at Bristol Zoo and the Aquarium.

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We would be remiss if we did not mention the beautiful Bristol Museum & Art Gallery. Located a stone’s throw from the conference venue (even if you’re not much of a pitcher) the Museum presents an amazing opportunity to immerse yourself in its varied and vibrant art, nature, and history displays. We are also incredibly excited to confirm that the museum will be the host of this year’s conference dinner.

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Walking

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Everything you could need is within reach - in fact you’ll be spoilt by the choice of activities, sights, food and drink. The abundance of street art and beautiful buildings is another reason to take a walk. You never know what you might discover.

Take in Bristol’s rich architectural heritage with the Walled City Walk, and discover hidden spaces on foot. Stroll along Corn Street, part of the old city that was the medieval heart of Bristol.

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Take advantage of Bristol’s numerous walkable green spaces, from Clifton Downs to Ashton Court. Or you can visit the Architecture Centre in the heart of the city to learn more about good design in the built environment.

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From the conference venue you can also easily reach the famous Clifton Suspension Bridge. A stalwart of the Bristol skyline, this bride was built in the early 1830’s and spans the Avon Gorge and the River Avon. No visit to Bristol is complete without viewing this iconic structure, especially lit up in the evening.

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Street Art

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Of course, wandering around Bristol provides more than just beautiful architecture and green spaces. Bristol is liberally adorned cutting-edge pieces of graffiti art decorating the city’s walls. Along narrow alleys, down side-streets and through under-passages, across building walls and boldly displayed on bridges, a piece of graffiti art soon jumps out depicting wry humour and subversive displays of pop-culture.

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Bristol is also where Banksy hails from; the elusive graffiti artist extraordinaire has an enormous collection of artistic works featured on streets, walls and bridges all over the world.

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If you only have a spare five minutes, you can wander down Park Street from the conference venue to view Banksy’s “Well Hung Lover” – well worth the hike back to the top!

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Friendly Faces

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Many people come here to study and find they never leave, Bristol residents are so friendly you’ll feel right at home.

With over 1,500 voluntary and social economy organisations, there’ are many opportunities to get involved. Break bread and share culture with the 91ways project, which celebrates the 91 different languages spoken across the city.Or brush up on your Bristolian - the strong accent might be one of the first signs that you’re in a special kind of place. So take a moment to thank your bus driver, with a cheery ‘Cheers Drive!’

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Bristol is a City of Sanctuary, part of a national network to welcome sanctuary seekers and celebrate their contribution to society. Local groups, including businesses, community organisations and individuals, work together to support a range of initiatives from a transport fund to a scholarship scheme.

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What makes Bristolians so special? We’re gurt lush! 

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As part of the conference we are offering a variety of walking tours to explore Bristol and experience some of the things that make this city unique. For more information, see our “Other Conference Activities” page.

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