Community Arts
at SHOP

As a Social Enterprise, SHOP envisages a world where businesses value people and sociability over profits and creativity is acknowledged as, and encouraged to be, an essential part of life. 

SHOP exists to provide a retailing experience which focuses on conscious consumption and prioritises fair prices and original fashion. This consumption provides the financial means to use the space as an arts venue for the benefit of the whole community.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO STAGE AN EVENT AT SHOP, OR HAVE AN IDEA YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE, TELL US!  WE’RE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR NEW AND EXCITING EVENTS LIKE YOURS!

OR, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO HIRE OUR DEDICATED ARTS SPACE AT 18 CHRISTMAS STEPS, THEN DOWNLOAD AN ‘ART SPACE AT 18‘ FORM.

By no means an exhaustive list, here are a few of the community arts events which SHOP has hosted in the past.

Artisan Market

SHOP organises a regular Artisan Market on the beautiful Christmas Steps where SHOP lives. The market provides an alternative shopping event to the usual high-street commercialism!

We have many artisans from Bristol and beyond at the Artisan Markets: sculptors, artists, jewellers, bakers, dress-makers, potters amongst many other and we would love to have more!  Pitches are just £5, as the emphasis is on keeping the cost low so artisans have an affordable platform for their work.  It is also very much a community event, so expect joie de vivre over bulging wallets.  Download a form for more information and to book a pitch, here.

Gigs

We’ve had some of the brightest musical talent from Bristol play in SHOP and a few from further a-field too.

We are always available for anyone who fancies it.  We only have fully acoustic gigs, because as a Community Interest Company we don’t want to upset the neighbours and have them banging their broom from the floor above.

Exhibitions

SHOP has a dedicated arts space open to artists to exhibit their work at SHOP for a small donation to the Social Enterprise.

We’ve had sculptures, installations, performance, 2d work and a couple of short film nights and would love to have much more going on more regularly. We don’t work on commission, the space is yours! Download a form from the link at the top of this page.

Guerilla Raw Food Cafe

Once in a while SHOP slips back in time to the early 1970s when 19 Christmas Steps was actually a café and restaurant…

…fortunately the food isn’t that old. In fact it’s very fresh … it’s RAW!  Apparently a whole community in California live without eating anything cooked ever, you can try it for just one night and all for just a minimal donation to cover the cost of the ingredients.

WorkSHOP

SHOP likes to encourage learning through sharing skills and the best way we can think to do this is through workshops.

If you have a skill and you think you would like to share it with others then why not stage a WorkSHOP with us.  Amongst other things we’ve had sewing and knitting afternoons, a Spanish intercambio, a baking extravaganza, a nature walk and a potting WorkSHOP.  We’d love to have many more!

MotherSHOP

Have you ever wanted to have a little independent shop but thought…what if it doesn’t work, or how will I really know if people will like my products?

Did Dragons Den say, “It’ll never work, I’m out?” Well the MotherSHOP has landed!  If you get in touch with us (and your products match our ethos) we’ll cradle you like one of our own and you can have a bit of SHOP space to sell your tuck for a day!

TalkSHOP

SHOP also likes to encourage discussion around different topics, or simply as a chance to get to know other people.

We have so far had a regular, casual discussion evening between neighbours in the area and also a permaculture presentation.

Zine Library

We are now the home to a permanent Zine Library in SHOP! We try to update the SHOP blog with Zine reviews and news, but the best thing is to pop in and have a read yourself.

The library will provide Bristol with a reference resource for independently produced publications from all over the world. If you would like to submit a Zine then please get in touch.

HireSHOP (arts space at 18)

If you would like to use SHOP’s art space for an event, exhibition, party, meeting or anything then get in touch through the ‘Art space at 18′ form at the top of the page.

Charity Events

As supporters of Amnesty International, VIVA! and the campaigns of Adbusters Magazine, we have always tried to use the SHOP to help with their work.

We’ve hosted two Amnesty ‘Protect the Human’ parties, as well as collections for ‘Books For Amnesty’.  We’ve held a VIVA! night for Veggie Week and always close SHOP for Adbusters’ ‘Buy Nothing Day’.  To find out more about them all please go to our links page.

Christmas Steps Arts Quarter Events

Our immediate community is the Christmas Steps Arts Quarter. One of the most architecturally beautiful and uniquely independent corners of Bristol, but sadly one of the most forgotten and neglected. We, with the help of the traders and residents association, want to put this area back where its been throughout history: an important part of Bristol’s scene.

Having already organised a Photography street party, created the ‘Curiosity Walk’ and restored the local newsletter, we are hopefully well on the way!

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