Your say / Arts
‘Why we should support the need for an arena’
A large music venue for Bristol has been talked about for decades but as yet nothing has materialised. There are large scale music venues in almost every major city in the UK, except for Bristol and Edinburgh.
The advantage of having a 12,000-seat venue is not just the glaringly obvious opportunity to see major artists and bands in the city.
The question is, do we need one? And if so, does it have to be in keeping with the status-quo?
Could Bristol be inspiring enough to design, deliver and construct a music venue that looks and screams originality and flare, much like the residents who choose to live here.
You don’t have to look very far to realise that one of Bristol’s greatest exports is circus and the festival industry.
We have designers and production teams from Glastonbury, Boomtown, Shambala, Love Saves the Day, Arcadia and Bestival to name just a handful. And they all have chosen to locate themselves in this bustling, colourful city.
All of this theatrical knowledge and energy based on our home turf should surely be put to better use.
In my opinion, the Bristol arena project should happen but only if it starts to embody the qualities which make Bristol shine. Large capital projects are good for the economy but only when matched with public sector support for small and medium size businesses.
The proposed building, location and surrounding landscape should be home to new creative start-up businesses, small-scale manufacturing, large-scale circus performance, low-carbon trade shows, pop-up festivals, food markets and more, as variety really is the spice of life and is what makes Bristol truly dynamic.
The development of Arena Island has the potential to boost the creative energy of the city.
People are moving to Bristol for its entrepreneurial spirit, creativity and independent business ethics. Let’s make sure that as residents of Bristol, the development of Arena Island adds to the creative buzz of the city and is not just another series of concrete paved public spaces and glass boxes.
Architect Shankari Edgar is the founder of Nudge Group, a St Paul’s-based architecture practice behind a growing portfolio of award winning spaces in Bristol and beyond. Recent projects include OVO Energy headquarters, Old Market Assembly, Engine Shed, Temple Studios and Creative Common. Shankari is currently on the board of the Royal Institute of British Architects, and is also a visiting lecturer at Cardiff University and UWE.
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