History

art + power emerged from an unlikely source. Disabled people and their support staff started the group at a day centre for people with learning difficulties. For 10 years, with no direct funding, the artists developed a range of innovative arts projects in a wide variety of art forms including theatre, poetry, painting and film. Through groups like Artists First, The Portway Players and The Rush Land Poets they gained a strong reputation as talented and innovative artists.

Strength to Strength exhibition at Spike Island.

art + power was launched in 1997 at Watershed, Bristol with the premier of Hear Our Voices, The Portway Opera. In 1998 art + power was formally constituted as a Friendly Society, gaining its present base at St Werburghs Community Centre, Bristol as a result of the ground-breaking European Social funded "Working Out’ project.

Artist working on Sharing our Journeys project.

Several exciting projects followed, such as "The Freedom Project’, funded by the Arts Council of England; a major community arts project involving over 5000 participants of all ages including disabled people, in creating 300 new pieces of poetry, music, theatre, animation and deaf arts. This was featured in a series of five arts documentaries broadcast on HTV in 2000, and led to the creation of the animated film "This River Winding’.

Exhibiting work at Thelma Hubert Gallery, Honiton.

art + power achieved its aim of independent status in 2001 with its adoption by Bristol City Council as a key arts provider to the city as part of the Council’s portfolio of leading organisations.

Recent art + power successes include a Year Of The Artist exhibition "Strength to Strength’ at Spike Island, 2001, Bristol; artwork for Bristol’s bid to become European Capital City of Culture in 2008; production of "Sharing Our Journeys’ a short film made in 2003 by Tom Stubbs and Lucy Bailey, about the impact of transport on access to the arts; and an adaptation of Marlowe’s play "Dr. Faustus’ at Bristol Old Vic in 2004, which is featured in the Resources attached to this site.

Faustus rehearsal.

Some of the projects listed above can be viewed in the Gallery section of the site.

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