NF01 November/December 2023

Bristol Beacon 37
Bristol Beacon’s much-publicised
five-year revamp extends far
beyond a £132 million rebrand
and glitzy makeover. “More than
a venue,” so it hails itself, Bristol
Beacon is out to inspire and
empower the city's creative minds,
just as it has done throughout its
156-year history.
Nailing this mission to its wall is the
Lantern Heritage Project, a fact-finding
mission shedding light on the untold
stories this transformed venue is aiming
to take its cues from. Its findings have
been illustrated by Northover&Brown,
in collaboration with inclusion and
diversity consultant Ngaio Anyia, on
a 12-metre-long frieze adorning the
Lantern Hall.
Left Bristol Byzantineinfluenced
artwork
by Giles Round
Above A flight of
fancy: the new spiral
staircase in the foyer
of the Lantern Hall
Much like the venue’s mix of original
features with state-of-the-art acoustics,
the frieze represents change through
continuity. A thread that carries on, too,
through community outreach projects
inspired by the progressive role the
venue has long played in the city.
We sat down with the creator, producer
and Deaf disability activist Cathy Mager,
who led the Lantern Heritage Project,
and Bristol Beacon artistic director Todd
Wills, to understand how the venue’s
illustrious past will inform its future.
thenearfield.com
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