Spike Island

🔦 Spike Island Exhibition Services Spotlight: Prem Sahib, ‘Kin’ In June, Spike Island Exhbition Services (SIES) technicians supplied and installed a complex projection and audio system for Prem Sahib: Kin, at the Phillida Reid gallery in London. Transposed from a low-resolution online clip of a dog amongst the rubble of a city under siege, Prem Sahib’s installation combines digital animation, projection mapping and sound, creating a distorted shadow of a stray dog moving across the floors and walls, and a soundscape of low and high frequency sweeps. As a new version of the work goes on view at De La Warr Pavilion, Bexhill-on-Sea, we wanted to spotlight the technical work that goes into a complex and exciting build like this. 💡 Got an exhibition idea that needs expert hands to bring it to life? Get in touch with the Spike Island Exhibition Services today: https://lnkd.in/ebHZq3VB

Introducing the 2026–27 Spike Island Graduate Fellows Ahead of the month's Night of the Fellows evening, we’re thrilled to welcome four exceptional emerging artists to our studio community. Each will spend a year at Spike Island developing their practice within Bristol’s rich creative ecosystem: Tess Foley (UWE BA Photography) Foley is a fine-art photographer based in Bristol. Her practice is situated between the darkroom and out in the elements, where she allows the metallic plates that frame her photographs to develop unique patinas, reflecting the core concerns of her work: sensitivity and strength. Martha Fox (UWE BA Fine Art and Writing) Fox is a conceptually driven artist who investigates societal structures, metaphors and what it means to be human. Her work presents as installations, happenings, socially engaged practice and performance. Community and audiences are an integral element of her practice and process. Charli-Ann Padilla (UWE BA Fine Art) Padilla’s practice is possible because of paint. In her experience, paint has been a medium that has taught her, while also allowing her to grow and make mistakes. Now entering the edge of the never-ending void of her imagination, she is experimenting with other materials and methods, searching for a new perspective. Charli-Ann has also been announced as the recipient of the Freelands Painting Prize 2026. This award by the Freelands Foundation celebrates outstanding painting by final-year students at art schools and universities across the UK. It was previously awarded to outgoing Spike Island graduate fellow Nahraine Al-Khafaji. George Morgan (Bath Spa BA Creative Arts Practice) George works responsively across sculpture, drawing and collage. He leans into physical processes of accumulating, deconstructing, organising, and reconfiguring material. Fragments of studio debris – tape, offcuts, and other overlooked material – accumulate over time and are repurposed into new arrangements. We warmly welcome Tess, Martha, Charli-Ann, and George to Spike Island and look forward to supporting their practices throughout the year ahead. 🔗 Read more via our website news section: https://lnkd.in/ebRak7yt University of the West of England Bath Spa University Image credits: 1. Martha Fox, 'I'll Carry You' (2024). Spike Island Open Studios 2024 2. Charli-Ann Padilla, 'Cut the rug' (2024). Installation view at UWE Fine Art BA Studios, Spike Island 3. George Morgan, 'Install Collage' (2026). Courtesy of the artist 4. Ear5 Collective (Martha Fox and Anna Kruml), 'Bus Week' (2026) 5. Tess Foley, Installation view, Arnolfini, Bristol (2026). Photography by Tess Foley 6. Photography courtesy of UWE Bristol

From Spike Island to Temple Quarter Spike Island Exhibition Services has supported the installation of two new permanent public artworks at the University of Bristol’s new Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus, by artists with close connections to Spike Island. Ellie Shipman’s 'Soft Monument' and Wood & Harrison’s 'We Apologise for Any Inconvenience Caused' are now part of the campus’s new public art programme. Both artists have longstanding connections to Spike: Wood & Harrison are long-time Spike Island studio holders, while Ellie has exhibited at Open Studios and worked with our audiences through I Am Making Art. The wider project also includes Wild Spaces, an 18-month commission with our partners Room 13 Hareclive exploring the relationship between the new campus, the River Avon and Bristol’s natural environment. We’re pleased to see artists from the Spike Island community contributing to this exciting new chapter in Bristol’s cultural landscape, and to have our Exhibition Services team help bring these ambitious projects into the city. 🔗 Read the full story: https://lnkd.in/ebHu-eb9 Tonight, the University of Bristol invites the city to celebrate these new public artworks at Introducing Public Art at Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus. The event will offer an opportunity to experience the works, followed by a panel discussion exploring the ideas, collaborations and creative processes behind the commissions. https://lnkd.in/eSz6S4Vv

"The fellowship has given me the space and support to continue developing my practice within a diverse community of artists. I am grateful to have been able to become part of this community." Ahead of Night of the Fellows 2026, we caught up with outgoing Graduate Fellows Nahraine Abid and Will Hilless to reflect on their year at Spike Island. You can read the Q&A to hear about their experiences, the work they’ve made during their Fellowships, and what comes next for their practices. Join us at Night of the Fellows on Thursday 22 October, where our outgoing Fellows will share their experiences, and pass the batton to the new 2026–27 cohort, with a group exhibition of work by all the Fellows. - Read the Q&A: https://lnkd.in/gTc5nr5B - Book your place at Night of the Fellows: https://lnkd.in/g28bRrSm Photography by Lucy Bentley

Arts and culture is an crucial part of the economy in Bristol and the wider region. Bristol Council research showed the city’s culture sector generated £892.9 million in economic impact in 2023/24, including £122.4 million in social value. We are proud to have several arts and culture organisations in the Bristol Creative Industries member community. Read a guide to some BCI arts and culture members you can visit and support: https://lnkd.in/eH3Dt3QF Arnolfini | Bristol Beacon | Bristol Cathedral | Bristol Zoo Project | Circomedia | Curzon Cinema and Arts, Clevedon | Design West | RWA (Royal West of England Academy) | Spike Island | St George's Bristol | Tobacco Factory Theatres | Watershed | Wake The Tiger | We The Curious

BIDDING OPEN: Win exclusive prizes in our silent auction 🎁 To celebrate our 50th anniversary, we are organising a silent auction of special offers generously donated in support of Spike Island. UP FOR GRABS: ⭐ A rare private visit for up to 10 guests to Lypiatt Park in Gloucestershire, the extraordinary former home and sculpture park of renowned British sculptor Lynn Chadwick (1914–2003) ⭐ An exclusive, out-of-hours tour of the Royal Academy of Arts hosted by Artistic Director Helen Legg ⭐ A 3-night stay at Durslade Farmhouse, Hauser & Wirth Somerset, with a private exhibition tour led by Senior Director Dea Vanagan ⭐ A unique artwork hand-drawn by Aardman Animations co-founder Sir Peter Lord Bidding will close at 11.59pm on Saturday 5 September Place your bid online at the link in our bio 🔗 Special thanks to Lypiatt Park, Aardman Animations, the Royal Academy and Hauser & Wirth Somerset for their generous support 1. Image courtesy Lypiatt Park 2. Image courtesy Aardman Animations 3. Image courtesy Helen Legg 4. Image courtesy Hauser & Wirth Somerset

Beverly Buchanan: ‘Weathering’ opens at Spike Island on Friday 25 September 2026 🏡 Spike Island presents the first European survey exhibition of the work of Beverly Buchanan (b.1940, d.2015) Rooted in the landscapes and histories of the American Southeast, Buchanan developed a singular practice shaped by memory, materiality and place, exploring the enduring legacies of slavery through the histories embedded in architecture, landscape and everyday materials. This exhibition foregrounds the intimate forms through which Buchanan nurtured the communities of friendship and mutual support that were integral to both her life and artistic practice, alongside major works spanning the 1970s to the 2010s. Artists’ books, manifestos, small sculptures and her witty, affectionate Christmas cards reveal a practice that moved fluidly between the monumental and the personal. Buchanan’s writing—by turns incisive, humorous and deeply reflective—runs throughout the exhibition, offering insight into her artistic thinking as well as her daily life, ambitions and struggles. The exhibition at Spike Island is curated by Clémentine Proby and Nicole Yip. It was developed in collaboration with Haus am Waldsee (Berlin) and 49 Nord 6 Est – Frac Lorraine (Metz), and will tour to Vleeshal (Middelburg) from 14 March to 27 June 2027. It is generously supported by Art Fund, the Henry Moore Foundation, the Terra Foundation for American Art, and the Beverly Buchanan Exhibition Circle. 🔗 Learn more: https://lnkd.in/efU97rjN 1. Beverly Buchanan, Out of Control (1991). © The Estate of Beverly Buchanan and Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution 2. Beverly Buchanan, Buchanan self-portrait in mirror on Konica (1976). © The Estate of Beverly Buchanan and Andrew Edlin Gallery, New York 3. Beverly Buchanan, Miss Flossie’s Shack (1989). © The Estate of Beverly Buchanan. Collection of Lorenzo Legarda Leviste and Fahad Mayet. Photograph by Andrew Judd 4. Beverly Buchanan, Untitled (Christmas Tree) (ca.2000). © The Estate of Beverly Buchanan and Andrew Edlin Gallery, New York 5. Beverly Buchanan, Untitled (Maquette) (ca.1970s). © The Estate of Beverly Buchanan. Collection of Lorenzo Legarda Leviste and Fahad Mayet. Photograph by Andrew Judd

📢 Office space available: Unit 52, a spacious first floor workspace in Bristol's leading creative community Spike Island is seeking a creative business, organisation or collective to occupy a bright and flexible 860 sq ft first-floor workspace within our thriving arts and creative community in the heart of Bristol. Located within Spike Island’s landmark 80,000 sq ft former industrial building, you will become part of a thriving creative hub home to more than 70 artists and a wide range of creative businesses working across architecture, theatre, arts education, design, film, printmaking, and digital media. Additional benefits include: 📌 Access to a shared kitchen 📌 Discounted rates on meeting room hire 📌 Shared reception facilities 📌 On-site café 📌 High-speed internet infrastructure 📌 A vibrant programme of exhibitions, events, and open studios 📌 A central harbourside location with excellent transport links Total cost: £1,450.75 pcm (VAT and Service charges inclusive) Could Unit 52 be your organisation's next home? Arrange a viewing today: operations@spikeisland.org.uk ✉️ Learn more about our other spaces for hire on our website 💻 All images courtesy Spike Island 1. Photography by Lisa Whiting 6. Photography by Dan Weill

What does it mean to be part of British Art Show? Ahead of the British Art Show 10 Open Call this autumn, we spoke to Spike Island studio artist and Founder and Creative Director of Art in Motion (AIM), Colin Higginson. Colin reflects on his experience of being part of British Art Show 6, the importance of holistic accessibility in Bristol's cultural scene, and what he hopes to see from next year’s British Art Show 10 season. Read the full conversation: https://lnkd.in/eZBjWEBx