Creative Communities in 2024

What a fantastic year it’s been for Creative Communities as we celebrated our 10th anniversary! We’ve had so many memorable moments and achievements, making it hard to pick just a few highlights. But here are some of our favourites from this incredible year. 

Bristol Sober Spaces: First Club Night!

We kicked off our Sober Club Nights with our first event in January, and followed it up with a second in August, featuring lineups with DJs Nicky Blackmarket, Dazee, and more. We’d like to say a massive thank you to everyone who bought tickets, volunteered, and performed. You have made these evenings so special. A big thank you to Basement 45 for paving the way and supporting these events. Mark your calendars for January 18th for our next Club Night at The Jam Jar, featuring Milly on Air, Safiye and Tony Montana! Get Your Tickets Here.

Hip Hop Garden

In April, Hip Hop Garden began its exciting collaboration with Creative Communities, led by facilitators MoYah and KMT (Ian Solomon-Kawall). This unique group blends Hip Hop with the values of permaculture, offering members a creative space to explore environmentalism and song writing, along with sampling plant-based food. Group members have had the chance to record their own lyrics in a professional studio, perform at our 10 year anniversary gala, and take the stage at the Open Mic during Sober Spaces’ Hip Hop night.

Recovery In Motion

In April, Recovery in Motion began. This group, led by facilitator Charlie Korda, uses gentle and relaxing movement to help participants explore emotions through dance. Recovery in Motion members have created pieces that have been performed at BDP events, including International Overdose Awareness Day and the BDP Creative Communities 10 Year Anniversary Gala. The group will restart on January 28th.

A Service Of Remembrance

In May, the choir performed at Bristol Cathedral’s Service of Remembrance for those who have lost their lives to homelessness. This deeply moving event holds special significance for many of our members. We were honoured to participate in this important occasion.

The Creative Communities 10 Year Anniversary Gala

Creative Communities turned 10 years old. We marked this milestone in October with a sold-out gala at Circomedia in the heart of St Pauls.  

The evening was filled with spine-tingling acappella, orchestral arrangements, and performances of epic songs ranging from John Williams to Cat Stevens, alongside hip-hop, poetry, a funk medley, and a show-stopping, co-written finale that combined spoken word and movement.   

The gala showcased the talents and journeys of our members through performances from Rising Voices Choir, Bristol Recovery Orchestra, Oi Polloi Theatre Group, Changing Tunes Beginners Group, Hip Hop Garden, Recovery in Motion, and Bristol Sober Spaces. 

We want to extend a massive thank you to everyone who attended, performed, facilitated, or volunteered, each of you helped make the evening truly special.  

Bristol Recovery Orchestra Welcomed A New Conductor

The Gala sadly marked our final performance with Bristol Recovery Orchestra conductor, Jon James after 5 years of collaboration. We are grateful for not only creating fantastic pieces on the night but also for his dedication over the past 5 years. 

We are excited to have welcomed Recovery Orchestra’s new conductor, Raph Clarkson. Raph has a background as a trombonist in jazz bands and leading musical workshops across the country. With the orchestra sounding so amazing in the winter show after just two months, we are excited to see what the future will sound like.

A Celebration Of Life

Our annual Celebration of Life event took place in November to mark the lives lost to drugs and alcohol. There were moving performances from the Rising Voices choir and a solo performance by choir member Deanna, while reflecting on those who have been affected by the loss of someone through drugs and alcohol.  

High Sherriff Concert

Rising Voices performed at the High Sheriff Concert held at St. George’s in November, alongside Dovetail Orchestra, Preludes Music, and Changing Tunes. Rising Voices were honoured to be awarded the High Sheriff Award in recognition of our valuable contributions to the community. We would like to once again thank the High Sheriff, Richard Pendlebury, for inviting us to be part of this special event. 

Bristol Sober Spaces: First Hip Hop Night!

We hosted our first Sober Hip Hop at Art Club. This sold-out event featured artists MoYah, Res One, Blakemore, 101, Patch De Salis, Phil Mac and was hosted by KMT (Ian Solomon-Kawall), with musical support from DJ Raggo and Steve Stone.

The evening also included an Open Mic, where group members from our Hip Hop Garden group performed their own lyrics. Keep your eyes on our socials in 2025 for the next one!

We Were In Print!

Creative Communities has been featured in various publications this year. We were selected to be featured in the Baring Foundation’s report, “Creatively Minded and in Recovery,” which explores the role of creative arts in supporting recovery. The gala was also fortunate to receive media coverage in the lead-up to the event, with features on BBC Online, BBC Points West, Bristol 24/7, Ujima Radio, Performing Recovery, and BCFM. After the event, we were thrilled to receive a glowing review from Bristol 24/7. 

We Want To Say Thank You …

We want to extend a massive thank you to everyone who has made this year so special — from group members and facilitators to volunteers and audience members. A special thank you also goes out to our partners and funders: Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, Changing Tunes, May Project Gardens, Recovery In Motion, Bristol Old Vic, Bristol City Council, Bristol Doc Community Fund, and Bristol Beacon, for their ongoing support. Each of you has helped make this year one of the best, and we can’t wait to see what next year brings!

Upcoming events:

Bristol Sober Spaces: Club Night

18/01/2025 – 19:00-22:30 :The Jam Jar,  Bristol BS2 9EB

Look forward to a night of Funk, House and Techno. Brought to you by DJs Milly on Air, Safiye and Tony Montana.

Bristol Sober Spaces is an exciting events project bringing you a great night out, with one twist: no alcohol or drugs. Whether you’re sober curious or just fancy a change of pace, you’re welcome here. Get your tickets here!

How To Get Involved:

Want To Join A Group?

Feeling inspired by everything our groups have been up to this year? Join one of our groups today!

All of our groups are free and open to people of all experience levels with lived experience with drugs or alcohol. Just get in touch via the details below, and we can provide you with more information.

Phone: 0117 987 6000 / 07593 259 257

Email: sophie.wilsdon@bdp.org.uk or creative.communities@bdp.org.uk

Volunteers Wanted!  

Would you like to join one of our amazing Creative Communities groups as a volunteer?

We are always looking for committed and creative volunteers to support our Creative Communities Groups. If you think this is something that would interest you, get in touch to arrange a time to visit and see what we do.

Phone: 0117 987 6000 / 07593 259 257

Email: sophie.wilsdon@bdp.org.uk or creative.communities@bdp.org.uk