Pictured: Lady Nade, Louise Mitchell and Rosa ter Kulie with the Bristol Beacon team
Bristol Beacon is today revealing a fresh new look and bold new vision, uniting all elements of our charity’s work under one name and inviting everyone to ‘Make Space for Music’, helping to ensure that music is at the heart of the city’s pandemic recovery.
Created in collaboration with young creatives from Rising Arts Agency the new brand showcases the breadth of work that Bristol Beacon delivers beyond our role as a major music venue.
Whilst nationally and internationally renowned for our live music programme, Bristol Beacon is also home to the city’s award-winning music education hub – until now known as Bristol Plays Music – and is responsible for providing music education across music centres and every school in Bristol. Our team of music educators and industry experts support over 30,000 young people through music every year as well as nurturing emerging artists and new industry talent.
In uniting all of our work under one name, we believe we can establish a unique charity model fit for the future, enabling us to deliver on our mission to support lifelong musical journeys for everyone in Bristol. The unified organisation will be responsible for delivering the Beacon’s city-wide artistic programme, driving forward music education for the city, establishing a collaborative community programme, and supporting emerging and established artists and creatives.
Our new visual identity and website have been developed in line with the organisation’s commitment to be truly inclusive and reflect the city’s diversity. After revealing our new name one year ago, we commissioned three local young emerging artists – Rosa ter Kulie, Jasmine Thompson and Greg Keen – from Bristol’s Rising Arts Agency to work alongside leading creative agency Saboteur to develop an identity that they felt reflected the name and the city.
“A year on from our name-change, today is an opportunity to reinforce our charity’s mission to make a step-change in the city and ensure that everyone in Bristol is able to make space for music in their lives.”
– Louise Mitchell, Chief Executive
Louise Mitchell, chief executive of Bristol Beacon, says:
“Bristol Beacon is for everyone. We want to live up to the promise of our name and truly be a beacon for music in the city, helping to create the space and provide the opportunities for people to enjoy enriching musical lives, no matter what their background or circumstance.”
“The true potential of the once-in-a-generation transformation of our much-loved venue goes far beyond bricks and mortar or even a name. Our newly united organisation creates a unique opportunity in the UK and allows us to be a model for the future, working with our partners in schools, communities, care homes, and other venues, to support people on a lifelong musical journey – from school to stage and beyond.”
To achieve the ‘Make Space for Music’ ambitions, we are also committing to raise £8 million over the next three years in order to help complete the transformation of the venue and grow and embed our work ahead of reopening in 2023.
Louise continues: “Alongside programming over 60 gigs and concerts with partner venues this autumn, today and tomorrow Bristol Beacon music tutors and staff will be out delivering top quality music education right across the city.
Our FLOW and HOPE Creative programmes, to name just two, work with young people with additional needs and children in care to enrich lives through music.
Just last week we began a new project for people with dementia and their families to be creative together and express themselves through music.
These are not the things that immediately spring to mind when thinking of Bristol Beacon, but this is also part of our DNA and if we can embed this work as we build towards the reopening of the venue, the potential to do good for the city is massive.”
Bristol singer-songwriter Lady Nade has helped launch Make Space for Music, having worked with Bristol Beacon since she was a teenager.
“I have worked with Bristol Beacon since I was 14 years old, so they have been a constant in my musical life. ” – Lady Nade
Lady Nade continues: “Bristol Beacon’s support helped me find my voice as an artist, as well as develop additional skills as a music leader so I can help others to do the same. Music is vital for our personal and collective well-being, particularly after the last 18 months. Bristol is absolutely a city that makes space for music, and we all want to play our part in supporting that vision.”
Rosa ter Kuile, known as RTiiiKA, is one of the young creatives from Rising Arts Agency who worked on the initial rebrand project and has since continued working with Bristol Beacon as a lead designer.
She commented: “The past year for Bristol Beacon has been such a significant moment of change – so I am thrilled to be part of the conversations and creative direction around that.
“We struck on the concept of Make Space for Music because its just what I saw the Beacon team doing every single day, even during the pandemic.”
“It feels like such a natural fit with Bristol – we’ve tried to embody a spirit of energy, light, and life in the design. It’s not neat and tidy, but neither is Bristol!”
– Rosa ter Kulie
Make space for music
As a music charity, we’re here to help make space every day, with everyone, with you!
Alongside our programme of incredible live music, we work across the city with young people, emerging artists, and communities to make musical experiences that change lives.
Because when we make space for music, we make space for amazing moments that last a lifetime.