Confluence
Artist(s): MAYK
Partners: Fresh
Four artists explore the ever-changing landscape of Bristol city centre in a new residency programme, Confluence.
This autumn, Bristol-based producing organisation MAYK has been commissioned by Ginkgo Projects for a new residency that explores how Bristol's city centre is changing for an exciting initiative, created for The Glassworks, Redcliffe's newest student accommodation managed by Fresh.
Taking an innovative and proactive approach to cultural programming for new building developments, MAYK invited four artists to create imaginative, personal responses to the idea of a changing city. Confluence offers unique and fresh perspectives to the discourse around the future of the centre of Bristol, and offers opportunities for audiences to contribute their experiences and thoughts.
Using Bristol’s rich musical heritage as inspiration, MAYK used the idea of an album to bring together four artists – Asmaa Jama, Verity Standen, Travis Alabanza and Ryan Convery-Moroney – to develop new ideas that have emerged through conversations about the changing demographic of the city. Each of the artists selected has a close personal relationship to Bristol and represent a diverse mix of artform and background.
Composer and performer Verity Standen has a long history of making work in collaboration with MAYK, most recently with polyphony which was part of Mayfest 2022. Film-maker, photographer and visual artist Ryan Convery-Moroney was an Artist in Residence with MAYK in 2021. Asmaa Jama is a writer and visual artist who recently exhibited an acclaimed new film work at Spike Island, and writer and performer Travis Alabanza has been blazing a trail in the theatre world with shows such as Burgerz (touring) and Sounds of the Underground (Royal Court).
Each artist contributed a ‘track’ to the album. Between 1 – 3 December 2023, MAYK and the four artists shared the outcomes of the residency in an exciting public sharing event at The Glassworks in Redcliffe. Encompassing film, performance, audio work and installation, the event was free and open to all.
Event photography by Paul Blakemore.
MAYK is one of the UK’s leading live performance producing organisations, with a mission to make important, unexpected, revelatory work with visionary artists that changes our experience of the world and each other. Led by Kate Yedigaroff and Matthew Austin, MAYK was established in 2011, MAYK curates and produces Mayfest – Bristol’s international festival of theatre, and are based at St Anne’s House in Brislington.