This year’s Phoenix52 'Get Creative' Festival took place at Netham Park on Avonvale Road in Barton Hill on Sunday 11th July. The day started at 11.30am with a Celebratory Parade with Ilu Axe Samba Band and a procession with giant puppets leaving from the Crypt leading up to Netham Park.  The Get Creative Festival itself will kicked off at 12noon with free art activities for children of all ages including:

- Thomas Docherty storytelling and drawing (as seen on cbeebies!)
- 6ft Bicycle powered Spirogyraph
- Giant Fuzzy Felt & Soft Play Area
- Circus Skills - Hoops & Balls
- Make a Mythical Beast Face & Tail then build a creature for our Clay monster forest....
- Tell your story of Barton hill, make your mark on our map.
- Cake Stall & BBQ

Plus walkabout performers, face painting and much more.

Illuminate Festival - 30 October 2010

FREE outdoor cinema entertainment under the stars

Encounters International Film Festival in partnership with the Neighbourhood Arts Team at Bristol City Council will present a series of four free outdoor solar powered film screenings in local parks within Bristol, during September 2010.

Encounters, Bristol’s annual festival of short films and all things animated, will be presenting a unique opportunity to see the Children’s Jury Animations and short films specifically selected from over 1600 submissions to suit family and younger. Now in its 16th year the festival is working with the Neighbourhood Arts Team in a bid to take the festival out to local communities and provide a taste of what the festival brings to Bristol to a wider audience.

Thursday 9th September, 8pm
St Georges Park by the pavilion, Church Road
Or indoors at St Georges Labour Club, Church Road

Friday 10th September, 8pm
St Andrews Park, Effingham Road
Or indoors at St Bartholomew’s Parish Hall, Maurice Road

Friday 17th September, 8pm
Urban Park at Barton Hill, Beam Street
Or indoors at Barton Hill Settlement, Ducie Road

Saturday 18th September, 8pm
Victoria Park, St Luke’s Road
Or indoors at The Star and Dove, St Luke’s Road

This unique solar powered cinema is brought to you by Know Alternative, a mobile solar unit with all equipment including their electric milk float projector powered by the sun.

You are invited to bring a picnic, something to sit on, a blanket, friends and family and wrap up warm for a night of entertainment under the stars. If the weather is wet there are indoor alternatives, and the films will start after dark.

Phoenix52 has won a funding bid from Bristol City Council's Single Project Fund to host a multicultural event in St George's Park on 30 October 2010.  The event, which will be called Illuminate, will combine several seasonal festivals that happen around this time of year, including Diwali - the Hindu Festival of Light, the Mexican Day of the Dead Festival and Halloween (also spelled Hallowe'en), which has roots in the Celtic Festival of Samhain and the Christian holy day of  All Saints.

Phoenix52 will be coordinating and delivering a number of workshops for local residents, both young and old, building up to the event at the end of October.  Watch this space for more information as we get closer to the event.

Don't forget if you are an artists, maker or performer or if you are a local resident interested the arts then feel free to come along to our monthly meetings, which are held at 6.30pm on the first Wednesday of the month in the Art Room at the Wellspring Healthy Living Centre, Beam Street, Barton Hill, BS5 9QY.  We are free, inclusive group and are always keen to welcome new members.  For more information email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

In Bristol Studios is a not for profit organisation that provides affordable studio space for creative individuals working in applied and visual arts in Barton Hill. They have two premises that cater for all creative practices: Unit 19 houses workshop facilities for woodworking, print and ceramics along side small units to let, a gallery space and communal kitchen.

Salisbury Street Studios are situtated in an old Victorian Schoolhouse and have light airy spaces that are fully enclosed, with heating and free internet. Members have access to a large meeting room suitable for classes and workshops, as well as two communal kitchins and breakout areas. Members can also sign up to use the Bristol Creative Digital Resource Centre and there is full wheelchair access throughout the building.

As a studio group In Bristol Studios offer skill sharing, companionship and brilliant cups of tea. There are opportunities to run your own classes and workshops and there is also retail potential through the website and regular group exhibitions.

For more information visit www.inbristol.org or contact Kerry or Sam on This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

The White Factory on Netham Road has space available for metal workers and artists who are looking for fully equipped metal working space with gas mig, forge and bench space. Office space with telephone and broadband, three phase electricity, yard and open plan workshop space also available. Space available from £40 per day or £160 per month depending on useage.

Tuition and technical assistance may also be available on request. For more information contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

This year’s Phoenix52 'Get Creative' Festival will be held at Netham Park on Avonvale Road in Barton Hill on Sunday 11th July. With a Samba Reggae procession from the Crypt leading up to Netham Park we will be drumming and trumpeting our way to a great day.  With free art activities for children of all ages, giant games, peep thru photo boards, cake stalls and storytelling tents there will be something for everyone. This year we will also have a 'Buskers Corner' and would welcome anyone to come along and sing acoustically to the crowds!

If you would like to take part in the 'Buskers Corner' please emaill This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or come along to the next Phoenix52 meeting in the Canteen at The Wellspring Healthy Living Centre at the top of Beam Street on Wednesday 2 June at 6.30pm.

Last Year the Phoenix52 'Celebratory Parade' and ‘Get Creative’ Festival took place on Sunday 12 July in Barton Hill.  The Celebratory Parade caused quite a stir with Samba Reggae group Bloco Ilu Axé kicking the festival off in style with red-hot Brazilian rhythms, they were followed by a giant Phoenix Puppet created by local celebratory artist Amy Peck with lots of help from children at Hannah Moore Primary School.  Lots of local children also joined the parade dressed in specially designed t-shirts and carrying decorated umbrellas and flags that they created at workshops at the Phoenix52 Community Artspace during the run up to the event.  Thanks to Kerry Russell & Tracey Graham from In Bristol Studios for all their hard work running workshops for the the umbrellas and the flags.  Local musician, David Mowat also joined the parade, together with local circus theatre performers vreni may and hazey hoop who looked splendid on their stilts.  The procession wound it's way from the Urban Park along Avonvale Road to Netham Park where the 'Get Creative' Festival was opened just as the sun came out.

The festival itself  was a great success with 500-600 visitors in attendance throughout the day.  Avon Fire Services struggled against the wind to inflate their hot air balloon and allowed children to sit inside a fire engine, whilst their counterparts from Avon Police encouraged local children to dress up as policemen and to sit inside a squad car and use the siren.  All the free creative workshops for children were extremely popular with a constant queue for face painting and free portrait photographs at the Dress Up Box, provided by Simon & Becky from Blueskies Photography on Church Road.

Other highlights included the Knitting Circle and Fairy Cake Decorating workshop, Mask & Kite Making, Circus Skills and the Spinart Workshops.  Live music was provided by Chai For Two with special guest, African star Ben Baddoo, Cheap Bent Electrode, MC Blackout AJ, the Qays Band and headline act - Helele, with Sound, light and staging provided courtesy of Factory Studios, Barton Hill Trading Estate.

Thanks to everyone involved in making it such a special day, especially to the Phoenix52 team, you know who you are, and to Sarah Winch at Wellspring HLC and Dave Marsden at Netham Pavilion - we couldn't have done it without you.

You can see photographs from the Celebratory Parade and Get Creative Festival or a slide show by visiting our online Gallery.