art + power includes regular arts groups

Artists First are the visual arts group in art + power, set up in 1988. "We have our own studio at Spike Island, Bristol. Every year we plan innovative workshop and residency programmes with local and national artists. We have had lots of successful exhibitions and residencies including Tate Liverpool, Brewhouse, Taunton, Thelma Hulbert Gallery, Honiton, Bristol Old Vic and Spike Island, Bristol."

Tom at work at Spike Island

portway players

Portway Players are art + power’s theatre company, who have worked in association with Bristol Old Vic since 1990. They meet weekly at Kuumba Centre, Bristol, and perform regularly in Bristol and around the country. The players most recent production was an adaptation of Marlowe’s Dr Faustus that was performed at Bristol Old Vic, and is explored further in the learning Resources attached to this site.

Faustus rehearsal

The players perform a mixture of their own devised pieces and interpretations of scripts. They adapt their style to the audience and venue, ranging from visually dazzling theatrical pieces to direct, thought-provoking work designed for conferences and workshops.

Brian as Pope in Faustus

We are pleased and honoured that people come to watch us. Audiences are there to share with us and to see what we can do.

Previous productions include: Sharing the Stars’ at Bristol Old Vic; "The Lying Doctors’ performed at BOV, London, Manchester, St Ives, Redruth, Swindon, Bishop Stortford, and Birmingham NEC; "The Clowns’ at BOV and Turtle Key Studios, Fulham, London; and Brecht’s "The Caucasian Chalk Circle’ and Christopher Fry’s "The Boy with the Cart’ both performed at Bristol Old Vic.

Sharing the Stars performance

"We have energy, power and strength together. All our ideas slot into a play. Our plays are about life and reality. Audiences are there to share this with us. We hope you enjoy our work.

How about the Stars at Night performance

rush land poets

Rush Land Poets are the creative writing and poetry group, who have been part of art + power since the beginning. The Rush Land Poets produce creative writing and poetry for publication and to support all our arts. "We express our feelings and our meanings through poetry. We perform our poetry, we bring it out and show people what we can do and what we are about.

Brenda and Mary, poetry workshop

singing voices

art + power’s 40 strong choir of disabled people and members of the local community. Singing Voices meet weekly in Shirehampton, near Bristol, to compose and rehearse songs, and they perform regularly in public.

Singing Voices workshop

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