Artspace Lifespace is an arts charity managing unique venues to provide affordable spaces for artists to make, develop and showcase their work. We offer a mix of artists’ studios and space for exhibitions, filming, events, rehearsal and independent retail across our Bristol venues The Island, The Vestibules, Broadmead XP (The Galleries), Sparks Bristol and the Arts Mansion in North Somerset.
Serving the Bristol arts community since 2006, we became a registered charity in 2016, specialising in revitalising forgotten spaces on a meanwhile basis. In addition to providing affordable room for artists, we provide consultancy to professionals such as architects, planners and developers who are committed to regeneration focused on community need. Any profits from earned income are reinvested back into sustaining the organisation and supporting our creative community. We are funded by Bristol City Council Cultural Investment Programme, Garfield Weston Foundation and The Nisbet Trust.
We advocate strongly for the arts in the South West. Through our Residency Programme, the facilitation of network meetings and lobbying, we support individual artists and organisations across all sectors and art forms.
In October 2024 we held The Island annual open studios with dance, workshops and circus classes. Take a look….
Many thanks to Sam Patching for the beautiful photographs.
We have a wide range of rooms to hire over our four buildings.
You might be looking for a large community meeting space in Sparks Bristol , grand rooms at the Arts Mansion or police cells at The Island. Take a look and help us to continue our charitable purpose of providing support and space to the creative community.
Whether it’s film locations, training spaces or messy art studios, we have the right room for you.
Artspace Lifespace offer residencies across our four projects, Sparks Bristol, The Vestibules, Arts Mansion and The Island.
We are proud to support artists to develop new work. Applications for the 2025 residency programme are now open.
“My artspace lifespace residency at Sparks allowed me to carry out my workshops for my research in a relaxing and positive environment that echoes my values. Being able to use the space free of charge relieved a lot of financial pressure too.” – Ellen Edwards
This month’s Creative Spotlight is on Island Circus Space member Olga Kaleta.
Olga completed a mini tour of her show Period Drama this autumn, premiering at Small World Theatre in Cardigan and sharing the work at Aberystwyth Arts Centre. She is currently taking a break until the summer to focus on finishing her master’s in Dramatherapy. The Welsh tour will resume in summer 2025, with plans to tour the show in England as well.
On February 28th 2025, Artspace Lifespace CEO Kathryn Chiswell Jones, Arts Mansion Venue Manager Jenna Graves and Bristol Parks Area Manager carried out a tour of Ashton Court Mansion for Sadik Al-Hassan, Labour MP for North Somerset, Ross Simmonds, Historic England, Regional Director South West, Councillor Tony Dyer Leader of Bristol City Council, Nick Hibberd, Bristol City Council Chief Executive […]
We’re taking part in Bristol Gallery Weekend, there’s a Riot Act and an Irish Takeover with live music and dancing at Arts Mansion in our March Newsletter.
We’re pleased to announce that Artspace Lifespace have been awarded a grant from the British Council Connections Through Culture (CTC) grant programme Auckland which supports eight New Zealand-UK collaborations. The CTC is a platform fostering vibrant collaborations between artists in the United Kingdom and Asia-Pacific. The programme supports 84 innovative projects, eight of which are […]
Music at The Mansion, Life Drawing at The Island and fun for Valentines and Half Term at Sparks Bristol.. https://mailchi.mp/ec2940ac45e0/artspace-lifespace-february2025-newsletter-21063516
“It’s like a little neighbourhood in here.” Journalist Simon Usborne visited Sparks Bristol for The Telegraph researching the reasons why so many high street department stores are standing empty and what lies ahead for these “cathedrals of commerce”. “Sixteen months after the last bras and Percy Pigs went through the old tills, the M&S on […]