Empty Bristol M&S store to become temporary art hub
The former Marks & Spencer store in Bristol city centre is being transformed into a temporary art and sustainability centre.
Sparks will be based at the Broadmead building which was home to Marks & Spencer for 70 years before its closure last January.
The store was a key part of the city centre and it was a major blow to the shopping centre when the closure was announced.
It will host installations, art studio space, reuse shops and an education centre on climate and wellbeing.
The pilot initiative is set to open in April and run for about six months.
It will be run by the Global Goals centre, Artspace Lifespace and the Invisible Circus.
Artspace Lifespace company manager Kathryn Chiswell Jones said: “We are feeling really inspired by our upcoming partnership with Global Goals Centre and the opportunity to showcase tangible, positive alternatives, a centre where people can come to dream, learn practical tools and collectively devise a greener, fairer and more creative future for everyone. Huge thanks to Hammond & Associates who have been working with us since 2021 to find a suitable building. We will be working closely with our sister company The Invisible Circus and other creative partners across the city.”
Global Goals Centre project lead Jenny Foster said: “This is a unique opportunity to bring together organisations and individuals from across the city to pilot new ways in which the heart of Bristol could change to better serve our community and address the climate, ecological and cost of living crisis.”
Mayor of Bristol Marvin Rees said: “Since the store closed earlier this year we have been working hard to find an appropriate meanwhile use for the old M&S building until a longer-term plan is ready. Artspace Lifespace and the Global Goals Centre are two great local organisations and I’m glad that they’ll be putting both arts and sustainability at the heart of re-animating the space. I look forward to seeing the new hub open from April next year.”
Bristol City Council has helped with the project.
Womble Bond Dicksonson, Burges Salmon, Gleeds, Alec French Architects and Hydrock have also supported the project by providing pro-bono advice.
