New cohort of IGNiTE Residences Announced

As you probably already know, Trinity Centre is used by many people in all sorts of ways.

From our regular classes to our live music programme people in and around Bristol know that Trinity is a place to take part. Our IGNiTE project reflects this special relationship Trinity has with the city and seeks to create connections and spark conversations between artists and the communities who make use of our iconic building.

It genuinely was a great privilege to see applications coming from such a wide range of artists and companies who put participation and engagement at the heart of their practice. Our Programming Forum worked hard to narrow down the proposals we received to three successful projects, and there were many more ideas we would have loved to support if we could. So before we announced the new cohort, a quick thanks to everyone who shared their ideas with us and submitted an application.

Though we did need to make some difficult decisions, we think you’ll agree that the projects we’ll be supporting represent an incredible amount of talent, skill, and ambition.This summer we will be host to dance artist Latisha Ceser, choreographer Ella Mesma and a collaboration between visual arts collective Back in 5 Mintues Squad and arts organisation Art in Motion.

The artists we’re supporting this summer have all proposed brave, bold projects which explore issues we need to be talking about - from identity, to citizenship, to what the future holds for us all. The EU Referendum and the run up to the elections have demonstrated that there are difficult, complex conversations we need to be having, and all three residents are making work which addresses this directly.

Dance practitioner Latisha Ceser will be developing ‘Barye’ - a project exploring Haitian identity and culture. As part of her residency, Latisha will offer workshops exploring traditional Haitian music and dance for both professionals and amateurs alike.

‘Historically Trinity has been a refuge for the outcast and has been known to stretch the boundaries of social acceptability. I feel it is only fitting that I explore my shame with a community that has never been mainstream but has always been accepting’. Latisha Ceser

Award-winning choreographer Ella Mesma will be exploring the idea of what it means to be a citizen of the world through her new project ‘Foreign Bodies’. The project will fuse Latin, hip hop and contemporary dance to challenge notions of belonging, home, identity and coming of age'. This will also be an opportunity for Ella to make new work in Bristol, where she spent much of her youth.

‘It will be a very special project for me to be working in my home town. I will love the opportunity to be influenced by the place I grew up.’’ Ella Mesma

Visual arts collective Back in 5 Mintues Squad will be collaborating with Art in Motion (AIM), who provide opportunities opportunities for artists with learning disabilities to engage with contemporary multidisciplinary arts. During their residency they will create ‘Paradise City’, an epic, evolving installation of an imagined Utopia, a future place in which humans of all types and abilities coexist peacefully and purposefully together.

‘AIM and Back in 5 Minutes Squad are delighted to be working together at Trinity. This opportunity will give us time and space to explore our common interest in the impact environments have on society and in imagining possible futures. We look forward to working with the team at Trinity and inviting the public and other organisations who use the building to join us”.

There will be plenty opportunities throughout the summer for you to collaborate on all of these new projects - from taking part in public workshops and participating in panel talks and consultations. Keep an eye on our social media channels to find out more about upcoming events or check out www.3ca.org.uk/ignite.

Image courtesy of Art in Motion