CITYIST

THE CITYist

Rhyme and reason Caleb takes over Caleb Parkin has been named the new from Vanessa Kisuule Bristol city poet, following in the footsteps of Vanessa Kisuule and Miles Chambers. Facilitator and filmmaker to boot, Caleb’s passions lie in inclusive environmentalism, wellbeing, arts, culture and heritage, and LGBT+ pride.

“I’m excited to see in what direction Caleb will take the third incarnation of the Bristol city poet role,” said Bristol’s mayor Marvin Rees. “With his background in performance and education I am confident Caleb will approach the balancing act of accessibility and engagement which this role strongly demands with passion and creativity. I look forward to seeing the results during his time as city poet to capture and distil the stories in our city.”

Traditionally – and in line with the national Poet Laureate objectives – the city poet taps into public opinion and acts as a communicator of local views and what makes the city tick. The role includes 10 formal commissions to be written over the next two years, alongside engaging local communities and young people with poetry.

“I’m flabbergasted, fizzy and delighted,” said Caleb. “Vanessa Kisuule has done a magnificent job with poems which celebrate, commemorate and challenge and I’m honoured to be inheriting the post. We’re living through a period of great uncertainty.

“As a writing-for-wellbeing practitioner, I know that poetry has a role to play in comforting those in need. It can also challenge us to imagine different futures and ask useful questions about our city. I hope to give voice to our kaleidoscope of experiences. Remember: especially on a sunny day, Bristol is already a poem.”

• Follow Caleb on Twitter: @CalebParkin

Whose future?

A new collaboration curated by Rising Arts Agency is amplifying creative voices throughout Bristol. #WhoseFuture showcases works from 40 young Bristolians, giving them a platform while also asking important questions about the city’s future, on the city’s streets.

Rising Arts – a community of creative thinkers aged 16-30 empowering Bristol’s underrepresented young people to fulfil their ambitions and to affect change through the arts – has joined forces with Out of Hand and Bristol City Council for the billboard campaign, in response to the lockdown’s impact on young people, and the ongoing Black Lives Matter movement. Celebrating a striking portfolio of bold visual multimedia imagery the project presents an opportunity for young people to be heard. “As an arts agency, our mission has always been to champion the unheard voices of creative young people and to fight for a fairer society,” said Rosa ter Kuile, #WhoseFuture Campaign Manager. “Recent events have shown us that our work has never been so important. #WhoseFuture is about challenging the status quo, bringing Bristol’s young creative community forward and celebrating a different vision for the future.”

Out of Hand is a design, print, distribution and outdoor media company based in South Bristol, which operates its own outdoor advertising network throughout the city. In support of the #WhoseFuture the team has donated locations free of charge throughout the exhibition duration. “While other outdoor media owners have ‘paused’ their sites until paid advertising returns, we have worked hard to come up with meaningful ways to utilise the space and give something meaningful back to the community who have supported us prepandemic,” said Nigel Muntz, Out of Hand commercial director. “We are really excited to donate the majority of our advertising sites for this month-long exhibition, which will reach all corners of the city.” Out of Hand is also creating an online shop to showcase and sell the works on display, as well as managing the print and delivery.

The commission has been made possible by using Section 106 developer contributions funding for Public Art, secured through the planning system. The commission has also been supported by the developers of The Chocolate Factory, Generator Group South West and The Burgh Arts project.

WELL VERSED

This month: a topical poem courtesy of Huw Parsons

Watershed Moment

Colston once as frock-coated figure Looked down from a mighty pedestal, A century old vanity in bronze Which it seemed would never fall.

So we were surprised how easily Old Colston bit the dust, A few tugs on flimsy ropes And headlong the tyrant thrust.

Then 'dragged along by hostile hands' And danced upon by sneakered feet, Bristol's 'wise and virtuous son' Was clanking rolled along the street.

So on went this sugar daddy, On went this founding father, To meet his Watershed moment By the side of the Floating Harbour.

Oh sink, sink, to the bottom of the drink To a resting place quite choice, Far from the jeering crowds And the people's placarded voice.

• If you have some poetry or creative writing that you’d like to submit for potential publication, email editor@thebristolmagazine.co.uk

Cllr Asher Craig and First Base’s Liam Ronan Chlond

Social More

A giant mural of the prominent 18th-century writer and social reformer, Hannah More, was unveiled at a local primary school recently, as returning pupils celebrated the 275th anniversary of her birth.

More, who was born in Fishponds in 1745, dedicated her life to educating the poor through clubs for women and schools for children and worked with leading abolitionists and philanthropists to campaign against slavery and the slave trade.

The mural at Hannah More Primary School, produced by Bristol artist Zoe Power, represents the work she did to address human rights issues across history. It was commissioned by mixeduse property developer First Base, whose Soapworks site neighbours the school. It was unveiled by Cllr Asher Craig, deputy mayor of Bristol, at a small (and socially distant) ceremony. “Hannah More was a much-loved and well-respected writer in Bristol who used her talent to champion those less fortunate than herself,” said Asher. “I hope it will inspire children and adults to give what they can to making society a better place.”

Zoe said it was a pleasure to learn about More and know that the mural will be enjoyed by pupils and staff for years to come. “As a painter, it's rare that I'm asked to paint female historical figures, so it's nice to commemorate a Bristolian woman and her life achievements, which are referenced throughout the mural.” Sue Ramsay, headteacher at Hannah More Primary School, added: “In school, we already learn about the legacy of Hannah More – her work in support of education for girls and against slavery. This artwork will help us to commemorate and celebrate her influence. We very much look forward to using it with the children as a stimulus for discussion.”

First Base’s planning application for Soapworks aims to reinvigorate a site at the heart of Bristol’s economy for generations, with workspace, homes and social spaces.

My BRISTOL

Meet Lawrence Hoo, founder of Cargo Movement, who has just been awarded a doctorate from the University of Bristol. Congratulations!

CARGO Movement is a creative collective working to illuminate inspiring hidden narratives about the achievements of people

of African descent and their contribution to our society. It is built from a collection of poems that I wrote, and being developed into a mobile exhibition and verified teaching resources to be used in the curriculum. The new funding we have from the Arts Council will be used to develop the first iteration of CARGO Classroom which will be a set of 15 lesson plans for Key Stage 3. The first part of the collection starts with a poem about Imhotep whose life predates the transatlantic slave trade to provide a picture of Africa before the continent was colonised. The lesson plans are innovative in content and form, will be accessible online for remote working and free to all. They’ll include spoken word and evocative audio visual resources to bring history to life and inspire creative participation from learners. There’ll be some stuff happening in September that we’re really excited about.

Bristol hitting the headlines has created an incredible amount of tension that should

have been confronted decades ago. And due to it not being addressed, it continued to create great division in the city so the question, now that this newfound attention is here, is will Bristol have the will and desire to action these changes now rather than just continue to talk?

I really admire all my Bristol musician and artist friends because they never asked for permission or investment from

the establishment. They made the work they wanted and in doing that they created their own space. I’ve always admired the ability to go forth and achieve something on your own terms.

I’m listening to a lot of Meek Mill, Mavado, Popcaan, Chronixx, Gill Scott Heron and

Curtis Mayfield – they’re all unapologetic about the message they deliver.

Generally, I’m just relaxing at weekends because that’s what

the energy is like right now. I’m taking this opportunity of the world being really slow to recentre myself and remember what it’s like to just actually relax and have my foot off the pedal. I’m also spending time with my children, so a lot of family time.

We’re also making our second short film, Uprising 1791 Haiti about the Haitian uprising and revolution and engaging with Haitian people who are sharing their

interpretation of their story. We’re putting the final touches together and it’ll be out this summer. I’m writing loads – storyboarding for film and poetry projects as well as writing new poetry. I’m continuing to write for CARGO as well as collating poetry for my next collection.

During lockdown I’ve been intermittent

fasting. It’s been tiring, but it’s alright. Since I couldn’t go to the gym, I’ve been cleansing instead to get it all out of my system. I also quit drinking, so I’m using this time to reset, get clean and fresh, ready for the next year. I’m looking forward to going to Loch Fyne and having some lobster – that’s what I want when this is over. The rest, we’ll have to wait and see.

Going on gut instinct, my first action if I was mayor of Bristol would be to address

historic, endemic institutional racism and hold institutions and organisations accountable for failing to adhere to the employment and equal opportunity laws that are in place. I’d also start a social housing building programme so low-paid workers can live and work in the city. n

• cargomovement.org

Lawrence has been keeping himself pretty busy during lockdown and his work has just been recognised with a doctorate