Filwood Fantastic Project Zine

OUR
FOUR
YEAR
JOURNEY

HOW WE GOT HERE
Filwood Fantastic started in 2018, with local residents
developing a vision for Filwood Community Centre to
be a creative and cultural hub for Knowle West.
A working group was
formed, led by a local
resident, and we were
funded by Creative Civic
Change to use creativity to
make a positive difference in
our community.
Filwood Community Centre hosted the
project, and created traineeships. We
focused on growing community pride,
changing perceptions of the area - and
making the Centre, Filwood Broadway
and Knowle West a destination. The
more we did, the more match funding
we secured to grow the project.
Fast Forward to 2022
Filwood Community Centre has become a hotspot of
creativity, with events and activities taking place all year
round - showcasing local talent and bringing together the
community. People who started as volunteers in local
resident groups have gained employment opportunities and
developed new careers in producing, comms and
engagement thanks to the Filwood Fantastic project!
As the neighbourhood's local
Arts Council NPO (National
Portfolio Organisation)
Knowle West Media Centre
supported and mentored us
to help grow local talent and
develop resilient future
teams.
"Perceptions have really
changed. I have friends who
don't live here... they came
and said it's not how they
thought it would be. It's put
Knowle West on the map,
we've been in the paper,
been on telly." Local resident

OUR MISSION
Making a creative cultural hub
for Knowle West and beyond.
Transforming spaces
and perceptions
Encouraging community
involvement
and participation
Bringing people
together
Instilling pride in the
community
We
focused
on
Creating opportunities
to showcase, inspire
and up skill
Because
Regeneration was simply
not reaching us so we were
doing it for ourselves.
We believe in the power of
arts and culture.
We are tired of being
ignored.
We want to create a
community we are
proud of.
We want to foster and
showcase the talent,
energy and ideas
already existing within
the community.

C O M M U N I T Y
M A K E O V E R S
We transformed spaces
through co-design workshops,
here are some highlights
CRAZY GOLF
SPORTS HALL
This makeover was
funded by Sports
England
RECEPTION
The Factory,
volunteer
Arthur, and
muralist Olas
Art made
over our
reception,
inspired by
community
ideas and
groups.
The Filwood Fantastic
Mini Golf Club met
over ZOOM during
lockdown, to design
the golf (run by artist
Megan Clark-Bagnall)
based on their
hobbies and at home
creations. The build
was funded by Bristol
City Council, and was
built from recycled
materials by re:work,
maker Nic Marshall,
and local volunteers. It
has since featured in
the Bristol-wide
'Where's It Too?'
project!
Find us on social
media
@filwoodcrazygolf
WALK OF STARS
Created with
KWMC:The
Factory,
Art and
Energy, and
residents.
Each star is dedicated to either a
local person who went above and
beyond during the pandemic
following a community vote, or
longstanding volunteers.

F I L W O O D B R O A D W A Y
T R A N S F O R M A T I O N S
We have also been reinvigorating Filwood
Broadway - the high street outside the
front of the Centre -to restore local
people’s pride in their area.
FILWOOD COMMUNITY MARKET
We helped the monthly
Filwood Community Market
get up and running, led by
local residents. Alongside
stalls, the market has
performances and creative
activities. It runs the first
Saturday of every month at
Filwood Community Centre.
@FilwoodCommunityMarket
FILWOOD LETTERS
Working with The Factory, we created
our own Hollywood-style sign, on the
railings outside the front of the
Community Centre. It helped put
Knowle West on the map. We have
painted the railings in bright colours
to liven up the area.
What's next? ReCREATE Filwood
Through a series of workshops with residents, Create Streets
Foundation and Bristol City Council, we are working towards a
plan for the re-design of Filwood Broadway. The final design will
eventually become a reality after fundraising, which we hope will
restore locals' pride in the area and attract people to Knowle
West.

P O S I T I V E
M E S S A G I N G
DJ Bunjy and KALA CHNG
created a Knowle West
Jingle, 'Knowle West
Bling' based on the
community mission. We
worked with Movema
and Rise Youth Dance to
create a Knowle West
Bling dance, which was
funded by Bristol Dance
Futures and Arts Council
England. Schools and
locals recorded
themselves doing the
dance to add to a music
video, which showcases
the Filwood Fantastic
project to the tune of
Knowle West Bling!
Uplifting the Knowle West vibe!
Funded by Bristol
Beacon, Knowle
West Alliance and
National Lottery
Community Fund.
Bristol Beacon and
KALA CHNG
collaborated with
the community to
create a new song
about the
pandemic, and
hopes for the
future. Find the
music video shot
by locals by
searching online
KALA CHNG
Boombox.
We worked with
Creative Eight Agency
(young creatives) to
make a new logo, and
promo films to spread
the word about our
projects.
To find our videos,
search Filwood
Community
Centre on
Youtube, or scan
the QR code.
"I feel like everyone should know the good bits of Knowle
West because it gets a lot of bad press but it's a good
area to live in and I love it here." Local resident

E V E N T S
Throughout the course of the
project, we ran, hosted, and
provided space for local events.
Here are some of the highlights!
Mix Up Party,
connected Knowle
West Media Centre
to the Centre.
The annual
Knowle West Fest,
showcasing local
talent.
SMOOSH, a music
parade with
Bristol Beacon
and Paraorchestra.
Bristol Ensemble
performed for our
Jubilee celebrations,
as did Everybody
Dance Now.
Resident-led
Diversity Event,
headlined by
Bristol Reggae
Orchestra.
Regular music nights were run
by local start ups Arts2Life and
KUMA Urban Music.
Belly Laughs, a
fundraiser with
comedian Mark
Olver and FareShare,
with Jayde Adams
as host, and support
from Yuup.
Lantern Parades
"My favourite moment was walking
around with the lantern parade...
children had been involved, people
were nominated, and as you were
walking around people were coming
out and recognising themselves and
lanterns they'd made... it felt really
special. " Local resident

The project saw a number
of groups and workshops
start to grow at the Centre,
keeping it bustling with
activity. Here are just a few!
G R O U P S A N D
W O R K S H O P S
Everybody Dance Now combines craft
activities and dance. They have performed at
Bristol Museum for Lunar New Year, and at
many of our events. They were even on BBC
Points West and ITV West Country, which was
a proud moment for many families!
Youth Circus with Circomedia was supported
by Quartet, and saw the confidence in our
young people grow as they learnt circus skills
and performed at our Filwood Fantastic event.
www.baseradio.co.uk
Bristol Beacon
runs a weekly
music group
for adults with
dementia.
The Anarchists
Mobile library, an
interactive theatre
project by Tessa
Bide productions,
ran workshops at
Filwood Community
Market.
Base Radio, south
Bristol's community
radio, runs out of our
music room.
The club was shortlisted for Best
Age-Friendly Outreach in the
2022 Fantastic for Families
Awards.
Tobacco
Factory
also ran
youth
theatre
workshops.
Local
Pat runs
guitar
sessions.
Pat also runs Rising
High, a baking
group
to help support
mental health.

Visit us to see the
books and hear the
recordings on the
app. You can
download the app on
Apple or Android
Knowle West Tales, a project in
partnership with Stand + Stare,
worked with local people to turn
their own stories into interactive
books, where voice recordings can
be played out loud. Participants
were upskilled in using the MayFly
Photobooks app to record and take
photos on an iPad, with some now
confident enough to teach others
how to use the app!
Art Club was a project with Bristol Museum - we
had a private tour of Grayson's Art Club Exhibition,
before creating our own art
club. Artists ran workshops on
collaging, clay, experimental
photography, bunting
making, and we had weekly
'do your thing' drop in
sessions.
South Bristol Darkroom at our
community centre has hosted
workshops at the market and for Art
Club, making cyanotypes (sun prints)
and anthoypes (printing with plants),
and working with local artists Nicola
Percy, Ella Chedburn, and Knowle West
Media Centre. Watch this space for
future workshops and darkroom hire!
"People are getting inspired by things... before it was
'you can't do that' and now its 'you can do it, this is
the opportunity, go ahead and take it'." Local resident

T R A I L S & P O P U P S
We funded trails and pop ups around
Knowle West, which continued cultural
activity throughout the pandemic. Here
are some highlights
POP UPS
Knowle West Beaches
Local artist
Claudia Collins
built
sandcastles at
the streets
named after
seaside towns
in the area,
spreading joy
across the
community.
BS4 Santa
Supported by Tobacco
Factory, Santa and his
reindeer visited many of
our residents for this
doorstep pop up, our
reindeer handed out free
books from Book Trust at
the market.
St Patricks Day the Knowle West Way
Local streets
named after Irish
places were
decorated, with a
great response
on social media.
Knowle West Rocks
Following on from the Knowle
West Beaches project, locals
wrote message of kindness on
rocks to leave in places for
people to find, and Knowle
West got its very own stick of
rock!
"The trails and pop ups
not only gave
opportunities for
emerging artists to try
things out, but provided a
network for people to
continue to work and
come together."
Claudia Collins, local artist

TRAILSFilwood Fantastic worked
with over 170 artists and
local creatives!
Grow A Gert Big Sunflower
During lockdown, a new community of
gardeners on social media came
together to distribute sunflower seeds
to locals and schools. Each participant
was given a certificate to display in
their window, linking different parts of
south Bristol together through
sunflowers! Year on year the project
continues as the seeds from the
sunflower heads are harvested and
redistributed!
Knowle West Wishes
Local artists (Julian Wood, Megan Clark --
-Bagnall, Claudia Collins) worked with artist
Lisa Cole to create wishing stars of love,
kindness, luck, growth and movement. They
were found in different places across the
area, and linked things to do at home and
around Knowle West. Postcards were given
to locals to send on wishes to loved ones.
12 Stars of Christmas Artist Lisa Cole
repurposed leftovers
from the Walk of
Stars, creating star
themed pieces to
display in shop
windows and other
premises locally.
"It’s so lovely to see uplifting, positive things happening,
there is a lot of love out there if we’re prepared to open
our hearts and minds to it." Local resident

S M A L L G R A N T S S C H E M E
Working with Knowle West Alliance, we funded projects
and community groups, here are just a few!
Inns Court Resident
Group made a
new sign, distributed
planting kits to locals,
and made paths and
planters from old tyres.
Jim Smith, Filwood
Tree Champion,
purchased 100 trees
to plant locally and
ran an 'adopt a tree
scheme'.
Brislexic bought a badge
maker for workshops, where
people made badges to
celebrate their strengths.
Brislexic is now a social
enterprise celebrating
neurodiversity.
www.brislexic.com
Knit and Natter put
together knitting kits,
giving them to locals
to knit items for
others in need.
Gardening Friends of
Filwood repaired and
created new planters
for Filwood Broadway.
With thanks to our community, volunteers, partners and supporters
www.filwoodcentre.org.uk
0117 914 9216
Find us on social media
@filwoodcentre
Photo Credits: Marcus Way, Ibi Feher, Paul Blakemore, Jason Pay, and the Filwood
Fantastic team. Thank you to Kim Wide for her invaluable mentoring and support.