The Night of The Year: Review!

The second biannual Christmas Steps Arts Quarter, Night of the Year (as part of the Bristol Festival of Photography) took place on Saturday May 12th and was a huge success!

Starting the event at 7:30pm was a slight oversight as the projections weren't visible until 9pm as they were competing with the glorious sunshine!  Not that we're complaining!

When the outdoor cinema finally appeared the assembled crowd were treated to an old cowboy movie, a 1960s Public Information Film on the dangers of drugs and the Carey Grant rarity "Room For One More". Rumour has it the outdoor cinema could become a regular feature on the Steps in the summer months! 

The parade of projections were interspered with a food stall selling the best curry in town and a fun painting with light workshop. Revellers spilled from Jenny Life Gallery and SHOP's arts space topping up their plastic cups at the Bristol Cider Shop as they went.

Thank you to all participating exhibitors, Jenny Life Gallery, Odd and Eden and Lydia Beardmore, Martin Harris and Danny Griffin. And a special thank you to SHOP, Fotohaus and Geneva Stop for organising the whole thing. Also to Lynda and Cathy for the food and Pete and Nick at Bristol Cider Shop for providing the Bar.

A great community event organised by the Christmas Steps Arts Quarter community!

Hoisting the cinema screen into position.

Lydia Beardmore setting up the light painting workshop, with a portrait looking on!

Finally!  A screen!

Beautiful sunshine, we were lucky with weather.

Cider-men, at your service in the Official Bar.

Blacking out the street lamps, so that the projections could shine.

Taking a photo, of someone taking a photo, whoaaa! Jenny Life Gallery in the background having a busy night at her exhibition and projection (in the lovely garden)

The light is fading and the projections are starting to show themselves

Lydia Beardmore's image of the Christmas Steps Arch, at the entrance to The Night of the Year

One of a reel of projections by Fotohaus

More Fotohaus projections (wish there really was a big wheel on the Steps!)

Three generations: portraits by Diane Auckland

Eating chips under the arch!

By around half past nine, the darkness really allowed the projections to show themselves in their glory

SHOP's showreel was back projected onto their window, it was a showreel of images of the Arts Quarter, past and present

The chapel at the top of the Steps, moved down the steps in photo-form!

Photo-lamposts were popular!...

...As was the Bristol Cider Shop bar!

Odd and Eden (photographers) showcased their portfolio.

The cinema!

Food was provided by Lynda and Cathy's pop-up veggie cafe and it was DELISH!

60s PIF about the dangers of drug-taking, you have been warned!

We all sat on the Steps to watch the films - it's the perfect natural amphitheatre.

The projector was retro to match the films.

The Night of the Year 2012!

As a very creative corner of Bristol, the Christmas Steps Arts Quarter has again fully embraced the 2012 city-wide Bristol Festival of Photography, with many of the traders and residents in the area getting involved with events and many different and varied exhibitions. 

Image by Lydia Beardmore

For the 2010 Bristol Festival of Photography, the Christmas Steps community organised a street party, called the CSAQ Night of the Year. 

It was so successful that we are going to repeat it this year – only bigger and better.

This really fun street party will see the Steps buzzing with photography enthusiasts from all over the city.  The main events are:

·   a promenade of projections, with photo stills being beamed from various locations onto the 17^th Century architecture of the Christmas Steps. 

·        the outdoor cinema will return, the natural amphitheatre at the top of the Steps will provide seating on the Steps themselves and the cinema will be screening photography based films. Bring a rug, a blanket or a chair! 

·        four photography exhibitions can be found at the SHOP Arts Space, Fotohaus, Jenny Life Gallery and Geneva Stop.

·        There will be an outdoor bar provided by Bristol Cider Shop

·        music

·        street food

·        a photography market! 

CSAQ Secretary Brett Atkinson says of the event:

        

“We had such fun in 2010 with the Night of the Year that we were always planning on repeating it when the next Bristol Festival of Photography came around, but this year we are making sure we build on the previous success to make it an even bigger event.  Having so many great photographers in the area certainly makes it extra special and since 2010 we’ve had the addition of Geneva Stop who are the perfect neighbours to have when planning such an event!”

The Night of Year is on Saturday 12th May from 8pm onwards, all over The Christmas Steps.

FFI:

www.christmasstepsartsquarter.co.uk

www.twitter.com/CSArtsQuarter

Easter Artisan Market was EGGcellent!

The Easter Artisan Market was a CRACKER!  Okay, that's the last Easter pun now, promise.  We're not YOLKING!

Ahem, anyways!  Here's some pictures from the day, it really was one of the best so far! Although the weather tried its best to infringe on the festivities, the true community spirit of the Christmas Steps Artisan Market prevailed!!

1...2...3 - Easter Artisan Market is GO!

We had our own Market Cafe this time, just like Eastenders!

Finishing setting up...

Top Shot

A new Artisan Market mascot!  Meet, Maisey everyone!

Inside the Market Cafe...

Is that Frankie Cocozza?!

Someone enjoying the pavement cafe...!

A Market Cafe patron!

Lovely jam and chutney from The Resting Chef

The eggs didn't stick around for long!

Some of our lovely Artisans are on the www's, you can check them out here:

For Frocks Sake
Resting Chef
Lionheart Magazine
Purple Thread Designs
From My Bear Hands

EASTER ARTISAN MARKET ON THE … ERM, CHRISTMAS STEPS!

In a departure from the Christmas Steps Arts Quarter’s usual celebration of all things Christmas (due to our fantastically festive name), The Steps will be hosting an Easter Artisan Market on Easter Saturday, the 7^th April, from 11am – 4pm.

To well and truly banish all thoughts of Christmas in the lovely spring season, there will be a fun Easter egg hunt for all visitors to the market to get involved in.  Easter eggs will be hidden on the Artisan’s stalls waiting to be discovered and then scoffed!

But of course, the main attraction as always will be the Artisans themselves and their amazing wares cascading down the historic Christmas Steps.  Expect: local produce, handmade jewellery, original artwork, cross-stitching and home-wares amongst many, many other lovely things.

There will also be: lots of bunting, buskers, great atmosphere, and a unique and beautiful site in a city centre location with many sympathetic traders and businesses in the vicinity, as well as great places to eat and drink. The markets are organised entirely voluntarily and as well as being a quality showcase for Artisans in the heart of an independent arts-led shopping area - it is a real community event.

So – remember, don’t head to the high-street for Easter treats, support your local independent makers!

When was the last time you took a walk down a different street?  The Christmas Steps Arts Quarter consists of eight unique streets in Bristol's old city, lined with independent shops, art galleries, bars, cafes and more than a few surprises, where artisans and creative traders work side by side to keep this diverse corner of Bristol as unusual as it's been throughout its long and intriguing history.

FFI:

www.christmasstepsartsquarter.co.uk

Book Your EASTER ARTISAN MARKET STALL Here!

For full information about the market and to book an Easter pitch for just £5 - download an application form HERE.

The next Artisan Market will take place on the 7th April from 11am - 4pm and will super-fun as befits our wonderful location!  Ssssssh, rumour has it there's even going to be a Easter egg rolling competition!

Here are some pictures of former Artisan Markets on the beautiful Christmas Steps:

A Christmassy Week

Last week was a super Christmassy one for our appropriately named Christmas Steps Arts Quarter.  Thursday the 1st December saw the switch-on of the Christmas Steps Christmas lights and Saturday saw the 3rd annual Christmas Steps, Christmas Artisan Market.

The switch-on event was a real heart-warming community one, with the school Choir from St Micheal's coming down to sing us some carols before the plunging of the plunger to light up the Steps.  Before the carols we were also treated to the bells of St Michael's on the Mount Without church, which rang out across the Arts Quarter to summon everyone to a Christmassy state of mind.  The mulled wine, mince pies and sweets were decimated within seconds by excited children and adults alike, but luckily Jenny Life Gallery were also keeping everyone warm with mulled wine and treats, and Bristol Cider Shop had delicious mulled cider too.  Here are some pics from the happy event:

Testing the lights before installing them, they look like a light-meadow!

'Testing' the magical plunger before the switch-on. Look at the excited face!

The snack table was very popular!

Waiting for the carols to begin

A very dark one of the lovely school choir!

Aaaand, after!

Best view in the house.

The Christmas Artisan Market was also extremely Christmassy, naturally!  We were all so pleased at how well it went, we think it was definitely the best we've ever had, as it didn't rain and the sky stayed the lovely wintry blue all day.  On top of the blessed weather, it was also the busiest Artisan Market we've ever had both in terms of the amazing selection of stallholders and foot fall too.  All in all it was fantastic!  Here's a few pics:

Urban Fringe extended the market with their lovely stall at the very top of the Steps

The loveliest view in all of Bristol!

Getting busier...

Some last minute adjustments

The busy courtyard at the bottom of the Steps

David Taylor's human jukebox entertained the shoppers in SHOP at 19 Christmas Steps