The Vestibules
The Vestibules was a dedicated residency space providing artists with free room to develop their work, local creatives to showcase Bristol talent and gave cultural and community groups unique environments to display work. The project, managed by Artspace Lifespace, ran from 2017-2025.
The Vestibules opened in 2018 with the support of former mayor of Bristol and Bristol City Council Arts and Development team. We have hosted numerous exhibitions, performances, cinemas and pop up art markets in both the Park Street and Deanery Road Vestibules.
Artspace Lifespace worked with Bristol City Council’s Arts Development Team to provide an alternative way of supporting Bristol’s arts and culture sector by opening up the Park Street Vestibule as a residency space for artists.
The first week of the residency has been a rich experience. I experimented with the unique acoustics, began to explore bringing visuals and words into the space, and some beautiful creative friends and I began working on the performative elements. I am excited to see how the second week will unfold. I had a great time at the Vestibules, it was wonderful to be there. It has supported my work massively.
Eva Millauer (2022 residency artist)
After eight inspiring years of creative activity, Artspace Lifespace bid farewell to The Vestibules, marking the end of an important chapter in the charity’s support for Bristol’s artistic community. In recent years, rising operational and security costs have made it increasingly difficult to sustain The Vestibules as a hireable events space. For the last two years of its operation, Artspace Lifespace managed the venue primarily as an artist residency space, providing opportunities for emerging and socially engaged artists, and paying for the management of the space from their charity’s reserves.
Continuing to run The Vestibules would have required funding or private investment to cover essential costs such as staffing, marketing, insurance, and accountancy. On average, a two-week residency costs the charity around £700, while regular hires cost approximately £300 to support. Artspace Lifespace had also been exploring funding opportunities to establish a £2,000 graduate artist bursary, enabling new artists to stage their first exhibitions in line with Artists’ Union England recommended rates. “Artspace Lifespace is the ideal place for any emerging artist; they really brace the artist for the competitive art world by giving adequate support while still giving room for you to self-discover and experiment” said 2025 Artist Resident Bolarinwa.
“We’re incredibly proud of what The Vestibules has achieved,” said Kathryn Chiswell Jones, CEO at Artspace Lifespace. “It’s been a platform for experimental, community-led and socially engaged art – unfortunately something that’s not easily supported by private investment models. We’re grateful to the Bristol City Council Arts & Events team for their efforts to help secure a sustainable future for the space.”
Despite the farewell, The Vestibules’ creative legacy will continue. Artspace Lifespace is delighted that Coe Gallery will maintain a seasonal exhibition programme in the space, while the Pride Hub will remain based at The Vestibules with ongoing support from Bristol City Council.
“For the past three years, Artspace Lifespace has been a vital supporter of Coe Gallery’s exhibitions at The Vestibules, a space we’ve proudly called home during this time. Since 2021, we’ve hosted seven exhibitions at The Vestibules, which have become our staple summer and winter shows. At the heart of our programme is a focus on Aboriginal art and the space provided by Artspace Lifespace has allowed us to introduce these important artistic voices to wider audiences, fostering educational dialogue and cultural diplomacy. Their support has not only empowered us as curators and artists, but also enriched the wider public’s access to meaningful, often underrepresented, cultural narratives. Their role in supporting artist-led activity is not only crucial for creative practitioners, but also for the broader public, who benefit from a rich programme of free, diverse, and accessible exhibitions. We are incredibly grateful for everything Artspace Lifespace has done and we strongly advocate for the continued support and funding of organisations like theirs, who directly serve the cultural life of our cities.” said Jasmine Coe, Founder of Coe Gallery
“We’re thrilled that The Vestibules will continue to host the annual Pride Hub and Coe Gallery, which is the UK’s first Aboriginal owned gallery supporting and celebrating emerging and established Aboriginal artists. It’s been an honour to play a part in the story of the Vestibules,” said Ayan Cilmi, Vestibules Coordinator.
“Artspace Lifespace has led The Vestibules with extraordinary vision and dedication. Over the past eight years, they’ve transformed these spaces into meaningful platforms for Bristol’s artists. Their commitment to nurturing emerging talent and creating accessible opportunities has made a lasting contribution to the city’s creative landscape,” said Elise Hurcombe, Arts Development Manager at Bristol City Council.
Please sign up to the Coe Gallery Newsletter for updates on their upcoming exhibitions at the Vestibules https://coegallery.com/blogs/news Anyone interested in hiring the Vestibules directly can do so by emailing Bristol City Council Arts & Events Team cityartsfunds@bristol.gov.uk.
If you are a private investor, wanting to support socially engaged and residency artists through the work Artspace Lifespace does, please get in touch with Alice Newton, Charity Operations Manager – alice@artspace.uk
The full press release on the closure of The Vestibules can be found here.