Annual Open Studios weekend at The Island with exhibitions, workshops, tours and taster classes.
The Island Open Studios returns to The Island on Nelson Street from Friday 16 to Sunday 18 October, the annual weekend when the building opens its doors to the public and lets you see what usually stays behind the scenes. It's one of Bristol's most distinctive creative hubs, home to more than 100 resident artists and over 50 circus studio members. The whole space occupies the former Bridewell Police Station, and it's run by Artspace Lifespace, a registered charity that turns vacant properties into working creative spaces across the city.
The programme runs across the entire building and the adjacent The Courts, mixing studio visits with heritage tours of the complex. There are taster classes in dance, circus skills, sewing and pattern cutting, family workshops, and a film showing with a Q&A. It's described as an established staple of Bristol's arts scene, and the weekend is when you can actually walk through the studios and meet the people working in them.
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Entry is free, and the Studio Holders' Exhibition is open throughout the weekend: Friday 12:00-17:00, Saturday 12:00-17:00 and Sunday 12:00-16:00. The open studios themselves run on Saturday 17 October from 12:00-17:00 and Sunday 18 October from 12:00-16:00. Heritage tours are paid, £8 per person or £12 for two, with kids free. The Island is on Nelson Street, BS1 2LE.
