The collection Bristol Museum and Art Gallery holds is for the city and people of Bristol. Bristol is alsoa City of Sanctuary, and a place where at least 91 languages are spoken. The World in Bristol Festival isa celebration of the city as a place of welcome, and the diverse communities which make it a vibrant cultural hub.From this basic idea, and working with our partners at Diverse Artists Network, we developed a universal, joyful and celebratory programme of activities with appeal for people of all ages.So, with craft activities, dance displays, storytelling, music, curator tours and theatre, all of which were free and open to all, we threw open the doors to the museum on a sunny Saturday in September. We had joyful Japanese folk songs, Indian classical dance, Polish storytelling, Senegalese Griot and Colombian folk dance, alongside provocative and intelligent explorations of our world collection from New Zealand Samoan/Welsh comedian James Nokise and DJ Don Luchito. Curators offered tours of objects and stories from the collections.
All the while, our brilliant MC, Rob Mitchell, kept the energy levels up and the good vibes flowing.Almost 2000 people came to the event that sunny Saturday, with a diverse audience sharing the joy.
We’re so grateful to everyone who took part, and especially to Grazynka from the Anglo Polish Society,whose brilliant tales had people enthralled in four well attended sessions.
Sanjit Singh Chudha
Public Programmes Manager (Museums)
Bristol Culture & Creative Industries
Bristol City Council
