Spike Island is a leading contemporary art and design space on the docks in Bristol and hosts a…read moremicrocosm of artistic activity. They show frequent exhibitions, hold residencies and offer opportunities in research into contemporary art. The building is huge, an old warehouse (you could almost draw similarities between here and the Tate). Spike Island is also home to the Aardman Animations team, creators of Creature Comforts and Wallace and Gromit.

A large warehouse space which has many functions for artists of Bristol…read more Publicly there is a gallery on the ground floor which has regular exhibitions and a large space for scheduled arty activities with children. There is also a nice little cafe - open on Mondays when the galleries are closed - with some seats outside when it is nice weather (although there is a lot of traffic on the road outside spoiling the harbour-side view). If you become a member of the studios then you can use their good printmaking facilities (Spike Print Studio) and rent studio space. The community here is friendly and supportive. If you just dabble in art then I can recommend their workshops - find details on this website instead of the main one http://www.spikeprintstudio.org They have lino and etching classes for beginners or to brush up rusty skills. They are up to date with some fantastic processes. Classes may run over a weekend or one day a week for a season.

This is a great place to visit for all the family, although I would recomend that you phone or drop…read morein first to find out what they have sheduled, as they have such a variety of events to choose from. Past events include:- art, dance, theatre and music, covering just about all genres within these. There is also a cafe on site for meals and refreshments. It seems to have the ideals of a community centre, in that it aims to cater everyone, but the events that it puts on are far more diverse and professional than I thought they would be before I first visited.

I attend the Orchard Studios for a silversmithing class and have done so for approximately a year…read morenow. The tutor is extremely helpful and I really enjoy the course. They also hold woodworking classes, enamelling, stained glass and various other courses and do lots of work with people with learning difficulties. Would definately recommend this studio as the least expensive in comparison to Bristol University etc.

excellent packaging, the order came on time, it's just wonderful to work with such a good company…read moreand such a professional team, thank you..

Lovely building tucked away from Bedminster which houses all things glass - if you make stained…read moreglass, glass jewellery or do glass engraving then they have supplies of materials and equipment - including the chance to hire some of the larger specialist machinery and kilns. There is a nice large area used as a workshop for the courses available, so if you fancy giving it a go then this is a fantastic place to start with expert advice. A day course in making glass jewellery is just £80 including materials, or a weekend on stained glass is £155 including materials.

The Guildhall is a fantastic venue - whether you want arts, music, comedy, dance…read more. The Guildhall offers a full programme, both during the day and in the evenings. The cinema offers popular (and not so popular!) films, and with the added attraction of the bar, and a much smaller and more intimate screen - the prices are cheaper than the main cinemas, but the films are shown a little while after they've finished at main cinemas. Some excellent bands perform here, again in a relatively intimate surroundings. The Big laugh cafe is another not to be missed - get your tickets early for this as they ALWAYS sell out! Tickets can be booked online for all events - pefect!

Best local venue for live music of all types. Occasionaly attracts bigger acts and you can usually…read moreget tickets unlike bigger venues.