Trinity Centre to explore art and activism with new two-day festival

Trinity Centre to explore art and activism with new two-day festival

Posted on: 08 Feb 2022

A selection of guest speakers will discuss notions of 'the new normal' in BS2 next month.

 

Bristol's Trinity Centre have revealed a full programme for the first edition of The Final Frontier, a new two-day festival set up to explore our divided political climate and delve into the history of creative activism.

 

Organised as part of the venue's Art of Resistance programme, the event will feature panel talks, workshops and keynotes hosted by a lineup of guest speakers, including environmental activist Mikaela Loach and Bristol City Poet Caleb Larkin.

 

Tickets for the festival - taking place at the Trinity Centre on Saturday 5 & Sunday 6 March - are on sale now and can be found here.

 

 

Outlining the programme for the inaugural Final Frontier festival, the Trinity website reads: "As we near the end of the pandemic the question of what will be the ‘new normal’ comes with critical urgency.  

 

"We are as a nation, as a city, divided. The murders of George Floyd, Sarah Everard, and the Criminal Justice bill, have led to an out-pouring of protest. However, for many, the changes demanded by protestors are ‘wokism’ run riot.  

 

"What then do we hope to become?"

 

Split into two days, the festival programme will open with 'Art, Roots, Revolution' on Day 1, exploring the many ways in which creativity is central to protest and reconnection.

 

Day 2, 'Call This Equality?', will delve into challenging questions around classism and sexism, celebrating female desire and asking how far - if at all - women have made progress in reclaiming the body.

 

 

Headlining the weekend's lineup of speakers will be renowned activist Mikaela Loach, who famously took the UK oil industry to the High Courts in 2021. 

 

In her keynote speech, she'll be sharing her experiences of using collective action to ensure the government is held to account for its response to the climate crisis. 

 

Elsewhere, The Final Frontier will feature a series of panel discussions from some of the leading names in British art and activism, as well as workshops and masterclasses from local artists.

 

Guests include People's Republic of Stokes Croft founder Chris Chalkley, performance artist Doug Francis and Michelle Curtis, whose iconic 'Seven Saints' murals adorn residencies and community spaces across St Pauls.

 

The Bristol Bear, which once welcomed thousands of locals and visitors to Bristol from its former home in the Bear Pit, will be put on display as part of an exhibition showcasing the history of creative activism in Bristol.

 

Tickets for The Final Frontier are priced between £7.70 and £19.80, with one- and two-day tickets available.

 

For more information on the event, to find out more about the Art of Resistance project, or to see what else is coming up at the Trinity Centre in 2022, head to the venue's website.

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Article by:

Matt Robson

 

Editor - 365Bristol.com & LOUD Magazine
 

Matt is a Journalism graduate and writer, passionate about supporting Bristol music, art and independent business. Get in touch via email at matt@365bristol.com.