CITYIST

THE CITYist

St George’s is among those to have received emergency funding

My BRISTOL

Meet the University of Bristol’s Centre for Black Humanities director and academic Professor Madhu Krishnan

Local arts lifeline

There were sighs of relief in the city recently as the government announced a £1.57 billion rescue package to help see the live events industry through the effects of Covid-19, which has seen many theatres, galleries and music venues closed since March. In Bristol, we heard that 29 of our much-loved arts organisations would receive a lifeline from the government, helping ensure their future in our communities.

The offer went some way towards reassuring employees, employers and audience members that the pandemic would not result in the permanent death of a sector that brought £32.3 billion into the UK economy just two years ago. After months of intense lobbying on the part of cultural leaders, the fund has provided necessary support to 1,385 venues and organisations across the UK.

The fate of the arts has never looked so grim, with little or no audiences, shuttered venues, and no end in sight to lockdown restrictions. In August, venues showed their solidarity by lighting up red, symbolising the sector going in to ‘red alert’ amid the pandemic and calling for urgent government support. The lobbying simply highlighted how heavily reliant the industry is on an ecosystem of thousands of freelancers, designers, technicians and performers, many of whom have been left without any form of income.

Bristol’s recipients applied for grants of under £1 million in the second round of the Culture Recovery Fund. St George’s Bristol, Bristol Old Vic, SS Great Britain Trust, Watershed Arts Trust were among those able to secure a place on the list. Although the fund has come too late for some organisations and there are still no clear guidelines outlining the industry’s safe reopening, we celebrate the development for these community cornerstones that provide joy and escape for both performers and audiences alike. Born and raised just south of Boston, I moved to California for university, spent six years in France, the Czech Republic, India and China and moved to the UK for my PhD studies. I came to Bristol for my first permanent academic position in 2013. It was one of those crisp, blue spring days, and I walked around the Harbourside marvelling at how happy everyone looked.

The Centre for Black Humanities was established

three years ago. The Faculty of Arts has expanded significantly with huge growth in staff numbers working on topics relating to African and African diaspora cultures, including Black British literature, African American writing, Black arts, hip hop, philosophy, race and social justice, Black history. A big part of why we felt this was so important had to do with being in Bristol; an important site in terms of its role in the transatlantic slave trade, but also as a crucible for Black artistic and cultural production.

Despite being a vibrant, diverse city, Bristol

remains incredibly unequal. It has been eyeopening to see the stark differences between where I work, and where I live in East Bristol. At the same time, there’s an entire cultural and intellectual life that feels so separate from the university; it was crucial our work engage with this. We share knowledge with different organisations and it’s been beneficial for the way we think about research. We work with partners across Europe, North America and Latin America; literary collectives in Cameroon, Uganda, Kenya, Nigeria, Somaliland. I hope we keep growing in strength and profile, as a civic, not just academic, institution.

The MA in Black humanities is exciting. At the time it was developed, there were no courses of

this kind in the UK, focusing on interdisciplinary approaches to explore the intellectual and cultural production of communities of African descent. The MA involves work with local activists, arts and community groups, drawing on cutting-edge research to engage with debates concerning racialised identities, representation and ethics. I’m also excited about a large-scale citizen science programme that would explore new methodologies for understanding city history, legacies and questions of reparative justice. We also recently received funding for a two-year project on Black humanities and health, which is really significant.

Twitter: @ProfMadhuK

Greenbank Cemetery for walks. I live close to Sweet Mart, basically the best grocery store in Bristol. Jeevan’s has the best samosas in town and I can’t say no to the vegan cinnamon swirls at the Bristol Loaf. Real Habesha Ethiopian restaurant is my favourite in Bristol. I love poking around all the little shops on Stapleton Road. You can truly get anything here, and the shopkeepers are always up for a chat about how the area’s changed over time.

I am at the beginning of a five-year project on literary activism in Nigeria, Kenya, Cameroon,

Uganda and Côte d’Ivoire, funded by the European Research Council. Not being able to travel to work with people has been hard but I aim to think about new approaches and keep up with friendships from afar.

I’m glad the University is taking work to redress

the curriculum seriously. Bottom-up and grassroots work is incredibly important but at a certain stage you need institutional backing to make large-scale change. I’m proud to see how emphatically the University is starting to step up, thinking about its own history and what reparative justice might look like. Dr MarieAnnick Gournet has done incredible work on decolonising the curriculum.

I am a trained musician in European and South

Indian classical traditions and mostly I listen to classical music (currently Rubinstein playing Chopin) when I work. Other artists on heavy rotation lately include Papa Wemba, Nina Simone, the Vaselines and Tegan and Sara!

If I was mayor, I’d deliver better bus links.

Outside of the centre it can be really hard to get around if you aren’t able to walk or cycle. n

THE CITYist

Models wanted!

Film fans in Bristol are being offered the rare opportunity to take home a part of the city’s history in celebration of the silver anniversary of Wallace & Gromit: A Close Shave.

To mark this moment in the region’s heritage, the creators at The Vine Lab have partnered with Aardman to design an exclusive collectors’ model of one of the most memorable scenes from the short film. The detailed silver effect model will depict the moment that Gromit flies into the air in his sidecar plane at the end of the sequence that ultimately leads to the demise of the film’s villain, Preston. In a nod to the film’s original release date, there will be just 1,995 models available as part of the special edition release. However, in order to make the

Early artist's impression of the anniversary Gromit model concept a reality, The Vine Lab is asking local fans to pledge their interest in securing this unique piece of Bristol’s history via Kickstarter, the crowd-funding platform that supports creative projects to come to life. The site is live until 26 November, or until all the models have been claimed.

• kickstarter.com/projects/thevinelab/ wallace-and-gromit-a-close-shavecollectors-model

A city of givers

Bristolians have donated more than £30,000 to support homeless people through the city’s TAP for Bristol contactless donation scheme since it launched just over a year ago.

To mark World Homeless Day on 10 October a new TAP point was installed at Bristol Temple Royal Fort Gardens Meads station, supported by Network Rail. The (image: Barbara Evripidou) City Centre BID has also made its second £10,000 donation to help homeless people move into new, permanent homes and to support and prevent people at risk from losing their home. A portion of the donation is going to homelessness charity St Mungo’s, facilitating personal budgets of up to £500 for up to 10 people to buy items for their new homes, helping them move away from the streets for good.

Caring in Bristol has warned that even more people are facing home insecurity and that there will be a sharp increase in evictions as a result of the pandemic. The charity is using its portion of the funding to continue its homelessness prevention and early intervention support, training volunteers and funding a money advisor and a housing advisor. The additional investment has helped fund intensive advice case work, via Bristol Housing Advice Service, for people at risk of homelessness.

Together these charities have also produced a bespoke ‘housing support handbook’ containing vital information on people’s rights and sources of advice for tenants and homeowners. “It says so much about our great city and the spirit of Bristol that even through the toughest of years people have donated an incredible £30,000 to help homeless people and those at risk of homelessness,” says Vicky Lee, project lead for TAP for Bristol at Bristol City Centre BID. “Bristol’s TAP points offer a fast, easy and safe way to donate money in a way that delivers real impact.”

Steven Dodds, partnerships and grants manager at Caring in Bristol, added: “Demand for good-quality housing advice from people worried about losing their home has rocketed and the TAP partnership is working hard to ensure they find it. Seeking housing advice early really works to prevent homelessness; over the next 12 months we will be working to ensure Bristol communities have somewhere to turn.”

WINTER CHEER

Five -minute refreshment

This year, as we’ve not been out on the town quite as much, we’ve found ourselves getting more creative with the cocktails in the kitchen. With winter on its way, we asked Harvey Nichols Bristol’s cocktail experts Adam Polec and Karol Hladki to put their heads together (only figuratively, mind) for new-season inspiration.

Irish Espresso Martini

The team’s winter take on an espresso martini. We’ve spiced it up by using Don Papa rum, which is, hands down, one of our favourite spirits on the bar. It’s got an amazing honey and vanilla flavour, which works so well with a creamy liqueur like Baileys. Paired with our medium-roast illy coffee, it’s definitely more indulgent than your standard espresso martini.

40ml Don Papa rum 20ml Baileys 10ml vanilla syrup Double espresso

Shake with cubed ice, then fine strain into a martini glass.

Winter Portuguese Spritz

Harvey Nichols’ late bottled vintage port makes for a great Christmas treat on its own or in a cocktail. White port spritzes were a summer favourite for the HN team, so we wanted to make a version that works in the colder months. The LBV port is jammy, chocolatey and a touch spicy, so works really well in this.

35ml Harvey Nichols LBV port 20ml bramble gin liqueur 30ml coke 1 dash chocolate bitters Top with soda