Art / bedminster
New art gallery to open in abandoned printworks in Bedminster
A new contemporary art space which will be home to artist studios, exhibitions, workshops and other events is coming to Bedminster.
Caraboo Projects will be based in a former abandoned printworks in Stafford Street, just off of East Street, with the project team currently hard at work renovating the building for its September 21 opening.
Seven Bristol artists are currently working on transforming an abandoned printworks into the home of Caraboo Projects
Bristol-based artist, curator and filmmaker Jack Friswell is a co-founder of Caraboo – named after an imposter princess buried in Bedminster.
He hopes that the art centre, which is supported by charity Gathering Voices, will be a community space for everyone to enjoy.
“We’re working really hard to turn this old factory in Bedminster into a place that’s really going to serve the community and be an asset to Bristol,” Jack told Bristol24/7.
“It was in a proper bad state, but we’ve started to bring it back to life.
“We want to be interacting with the local community that is here. Hopefully we start injecting life and energy into East Street, working with business owners and local people to do projects there.
“We want to shine a spotlight on Bedminster as an area, making it a cultural attraction.”
A Kickstarter campaign has been launched to help bring the centre to life, offering rewards such as workshops, art pieces, ceramics, tote bags and homemade jewellery in exchange for donations.
Main image, left to right: Adam Hedley, Jack Friswell, Phil Root, Rowan Shaw, Jenny Male, John O’Hare and Felicia Stevens
https://twitter.com/Showofstrength/status/848807394872356864
Caraboo is named after the woman who became known as Princess Caraboo. She was discovered in Aldmondsbury in 1817, wearing a black turban and speaking an incomprehensible language, and was quite the fascination to high society – claiming to be a princess from an island called Javasu who had escaped after being abducted by pirates, but in actual fact being Mary Baker, the daughter of a cobbler from Witheridge in Devon.
After her subterfuge was discovered, she travelled to the USA, France and Spain, before settling in Bristol, eventually making a living by selling leeches to the BRI until she died in 1864, aged 75. She was buried in the Hebron Road burial ground in Bedminster.
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