Hidden City Writers in residence is live writing in response to a site, its resonances, histories, stories, visitors and spaces.
We have brought eight talented city and near region writers together with eight fascinating city buildings opening their doors on Doors Open Day and given them free reign to take inspiration from the buildings’ past, present and future. Each of their residencies will result in spoken word presentations in their venues towards the end of the day.
All final presentations are FREE, see performance times below.
You can read who the writers and their buidlings are below. We will be posting the results of these residencies up on the viewing chamber in the week after the event so do check back in then to get a glimpse of the artistic fruits of their labours and experience the city in a new light!
The Drawing Office, SS Great Britain Trust, Gas Ferry Road, BS1 6TY. Drawing Office where Brunel worked on plans for the SS Great Britain.
Writer in Residence: Rew Lowe ‘I’m delighted to have been asked to be a Writer in Residence for Hidden City, and what’s more, aboard Brunel’s SS Great Britain, in his drawing room, packed to the brim, no doubt, with tales from here, down the Avon and around the Cape of Good Hope, all the way to the Antipodes and back…’ Performance Time: 3:15pm
Underfall Yard, Cumberland Road, BS1 6XL. Historic working yard: unique collection of C19 buildings built as maintenance base for Bristol Docks.
Writer in Residence: Samuel Edward Taylor ‘I’m really pleased to be involved with the Hidden City Project. The Underfall Yard is a unique and inspiring site with a rich history – a great place to find stories.’ Performance Time: 3pm
St Mary Redcliffe Church, Redcliffe Way, BS1 6NL. Splendid example of medieval Gothic architecture, which has been admired through the ages.
Writer in Residence: Bea Roberts ‘I’m very excited to be working in St. Mary Redcliffe Church; with over a thousand years of Bristol’s history within its walls there’s going to be an incredible amount to discover and reflect upon.’ Performance Time: 3.45pm
Elsie Briggs House, Church Road, BS9 3EQ. One of Bristol’s oldest domestic buildings – a mid C15 cottage with many original features.
Writer in Residence: John Yates ‘Having benefitted from spiritual retreats in the past, I’m looking forward to exploring Elsie Briggs House as a Hidden City writer-in-residence.’ Performance Time: 3:30pm
Bedminster RNIB Centre, 10 Stillhouse Lane, BS3 4EB. Discover how this building meets the needs of blind and partially sighted people.
Writer in Residence: Stephanie Kempson ‘I can’t wait to get into the RNIB building and start writing, it’s a building I’ve seen a lot from the outside but never been inside of. The experiences and the stories that must have unfolded there over the years, and the actions and work that goes on there on a daily basis is definitely going to provide a rich tapestry of ideas to draw on.’ Performance Time: 3pm
Glenside Hospital Museum, Blackberry Hill, BS16 1DD. Set in the Victorian chapel of the C19 asylum and showcasing a significant collection of objects, photographs and artworks from the hospital.
Writer in Residence: Lucy Bell “I am fascinated by the cognitive habits we get into to survive, and how these colour our relationships. I have written about the mental health challenges, and resilience, of soldiers’ wives, carers and parents in drugs recovery. I could not be more thrilled to work with Glenside Hospital Museum. The challenge will be working out which source material to leave out.” Performance Time: 3:30pm
Julian Trust Night Shelter, Little Bishop Street, BS2 9JF. Discover what lies behind the little blue door.
Writer in Residence: Sammy Weaver ‘I can’t wait to explore Bristol’s Night Shelter and listen for the voices in its silences- to compose its whispers, shouts and pauses in the rhythms and words it knows. How to write a place that is a lifeline that sleeps by day and thrives at night?’ Performance Time: 3.15pm
Horizon House, Deanery Road, BS1 5AH. Award-winning environmentally friendly building and Environment Agency HQ.
Writer in Residence: Clare Reddaway ‘I love the ebb and flow of green throughout the building, and the use of ground source heat and rainwater to power and water it. The building feels alive, connected to the earth, and I’m looking forward to exploring it further.’ Performance Time: 3:30pm
The writers will be circulating through the buildings all day and can be identified by their Hidden City Writer in Residence lanyards.
Please feel free to talk to them, they may have questions for you about the building you are exploring, something you say may inspire them and get included in their spoken word presentation.
Join our facebook event for more information!