Art, Place and Community: Autumn Art Lectures 2026
The 2026 Autumn Art Lectures take the public art programme for the new Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus (TQEC) as its starting point and will examine how public art can contribute to the identity and character of a place.
The public art programme for TQEC was developed to embed creativity into the new campus and to encourage creative exchange and connection between the University and the wider city. Three new site-specific public art commissions offer distinctive responses to the new campus and its context, exploring its connections to innovation and industry, the waterways and green spaces that shape the site, and the communities that will define its future.
All events are free and open to all. The programme was delivered in partnership with the Contemporary Art Society *Consultancy.
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Introducing Public Art at Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus
Tuesday 6 October, 6-8:15pm
Sloane Robinson Building, Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus, Bristol, BS1 6AZ
Join us for an evening of celebration as we unveil three new public artworks by John Wood and Paul Harrison, Ellie Shipman, and Room 13 Hareclive. The new commissions include two permanent installations on the ground floor of the Sloane Robinson Building, alongside a newly commissioned short film.
The evening will include an opportunity to experience the artworks, followed by a panel discussion exploring the ideas, collaborations, and creative processes behind the commissions.
Professor Beth Williamson will be in conversation with artists John Wood and Paul Harrison, Shani Ali of Room 13 Hareclive, and Ellie Shipman, alongside Megan O’Shea, Contemporary Art Society * Consultancy.
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From Cattle Market to Campus: Temple Quarter's Histories
Saturday 10 October, 2-2:50pm
Sloane Robinson Building, Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus, Bristol, BS1 6AZ
Once a colour works producing printed and dyed floor cloths, the Temple Quarter site has also been a cattle market and a sorting post office. But for a long time, it was also a vast, derelict location lying empty after the post office moved to Filton.
Occupied by street artists, this abandoned space was brought to life as a gallery of urban creativity. Having photographed the interior, and against the backdrop of a longer history, Professor Tim Cole examines the past, present and future of this incredible location to answer a bigger question about the role of art, place and community.
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Fabricating Soft Monument: Local Industry, Heritage and Collaboration
Wednesday 4 November, 6:30-7:30pm
Sloane Robinson Building, Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus, Bristol, BS1 6AZ
Soft Monument is a woven textile artwork by artist Ellie Shipman, created for the Story Exchange, on the ground floor of the Sloane Robinson Building at the University of Bristol’s new Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus.
Join us to hear about the making of Soft Monument and the rich history of innovation and industry that has shaped the area surrounding the new campus. Through a conversation with the artist and collaborators including Juliet Bailey of Dash and Miller, this event will reveal how local histories, materials and craft have been woven into this landmark public artwork.
Made from British wool and mild steel, Soft Monument is the result of Charting Change, a remarkable two-year artist-led collaboration with community partners and women-led businesses in St Phillips Marsh and Barton Hill. The textile was woven by Dash & Miller and Bristol Weaving Mill, the metalwork was created by Dizzi Lombardo and Lottie Smith, and the panels were pieced together by Jokoto Tailoring.