The project has been born out of conversations with local people. Pounding the pavements across December and early January, the Compass team visited every business in Broadmead and had exciting chats with the cultural organisations in the area, ultimately recruiting a pool of young people to lead and deliver the project alongside us. 

The heartbeat of the project is the first floor of the galleries, in the old Captain Kandy shop, now “Unit Ujima” with its cool tiled flooring and floor to ceiling widows, and the old Vertigo VR shop, now “Unit One”, with tons of space for hangouts and performances. Plus hangout and chilling space in the wide area outside Boots.

Spaces at some events will be limited so snap them up early – they are all free!

We are reimagining the city. It is Broadmead, but not as you know it.

Compass Presents are a local independent arts company. Working closely with Bristol’s diverse communities, our work seeks to re-present cultural gems, imbuing them with immediacy and relevance through live elements, such as dance, circus, or projection mapping. Compass often works with cult and archive film to create expanded cinema experiences. We also create promenade theatre performances, interactive playthings, and experimental film edits, as well as producing stages and installations for festivals.

A Love Letter To Broadmead is the result of an in-depth consultation process with businesses and communities around Broadmead. The cultural gem is the areas itself! Stories will be brought to life by bespoke performances and interactive activities, designed to unpack all the richness and complexity of what was once the heartbeat of Bristol.

A Love Letter To Broadmead is being delivered as part of the City Centre and High Streets Culture and Events Programme, funded by Bristol City Council. The initiative aims to attract more visitors to the City Centre, boosting local businesses and the economy.

The project has been created in partnership with the businesses on the street, and in consultation with local people. All of the artists and creative team have direct links to Bristol, either historical or current, and for all of us it has been a huge honour to be able to work creatively with the legacy of Broadmead.

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