Art unveiled in City Hall

A piece of artwork created at last year’s Knowle West Fest is one of six pieces unveiled at City Hall this week by Bristol Mayor Marvin Rees.

The handprint board was created as a community response to racist attacks in the area and presented to City Hall at the end of 2016.

The artwork, where residents added their handprints, was produced as a statement of public unity to show racism had no place in the area and was supported by community organisations and the police.

It is now displayed with works from across the city created by local artists and members of the community – all accessible to the public.

Each piece has been hung and displayed in different locations throughout City Hall with artwork  from wards including Southmead, Knowle and Windmill Hill.

Marvin Rees, Mayor of Bristol, said: “This project is about ensuring that City Hall as a public building really represents the communities it works for.  By giving people space inside the building to display their creativity I hope that people will be able to feel greater ownership of the building and remind us of the many communities that make up our city.

“I’d like to thank everyone who has come forward to donate their work so far.  This is just the first stage of this project and I hope eventually to be able to have every ward in the city represented by a piece of artwork…”

The announcement is the latest move to bring art into the building with the side vestibules having been opened up for local community and cultural groups to display their work earlier this year.

These spaces are being managed by registered community art charity, Artspace Lifespace.

Alecto Shyne, Neighbourhood Police Team Sergeant for Knowle and Filwood, helped to spearhead the work that created the piece in response to hate crime in the local area.

She said: “This piece was created to be a rejection of hate crime on behalf of the community…   Painting this picture was a way of helping the community come together to show that racism is not accepted here and show our unity in the face of this hate.”

Bristol residents looking to enter their painting can find contact details for their local councillors on the council’s website: www.bristol.gov.uk/my-neighbourhood-search.

Any groups looking to hold an exhibit in one of the council’s vestibules can find more information on the Artspace Lifespace website: www.artspacelifespace.com