Art and creativity

Discover a city brought to life by art and creativity.

Art and culture

Art is in the fabric of this city, from Banksy graffiti to city-wide art installations. Initiatives like Bristol Light Festival and Playable City illustrate our expressive and creative spirit  

Walking around Bristol, you'll find examples of our creativity on almost every street. There is no shortage of unique shops, reflecting the creativity of the people who live and work here.  

Bristol offers countless cultural communities. Art studios, dance companies and writing collectives are just the start. Smaller venues in the city offer the chance to pursue your creativity and meet like-minded peers.  

Attend an event at the Pervasive Media Studio, home to a thriving community of Bristol researchers, or join the artist-led Bristol Creatives network. 

Looking for some artistic inspiration? Visit one of our many unique museums or art galleries, free of charge: 

M Shed

A free museum telling the story of Bristol

Arnolfini

Bristol's international centre for contemporary art

Music and arts venues

Music, theatre, cinema, poetryiBristol there's always something new to experience. Catch touring plays and hit musicals at Bristol Hippodrome. Discover a new local band at Rough Trade or journey through the 'Wake the Tiger Amazement Park'You'll find venues for every style and genre of art in Bristol.  
 
Discover some of our most popular venues:
 

The Watershed

Independent cinema and cultural hub

Bristol Old Vic

The oldest theatre in the UK

The Jam Jar

An independent live music venue

Bristol Beacon

A concert hall and community space

Creative industries

Many creative industries have set up shop here, including the BBC's Natural History Unit, and Bristol is a UNESCO City of Film. There are plenty of opportunities to translate your studies into an industry career right here in Bristol:

  • We're the second fastest growing city for university spinout companies in the UK, producing 67 companies since 2011.
  • SETsquared, our enterprise partnership, offers investment and support for global tech companies starting out in Bristol.

Bristol is a city where creativity and technology can evolve in unison. From the BBC to Airbus, there's no limit to the range of industries that thrive here.

And of course, Bristol is home to Aardman Animations, the studio behind Wallace and Gromit. You'll see nods to their popular characters across the city, including the bespoke made ‘Denticles’ outside our Dental School.

Bristol on film 

Bristol’s creative spirit has made it a popular location for many filming companies. You may not have realised it, but you’ve probably seen Bristol in some of your favourite TV shows and films. 

Some of the city's most notable appearances were in Skins, Doctor Who and Sherlock. 

Explore Bristol filming locations with these maps.

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