Spike Island is more than just a building; we’re a public space where people can discover and connect with art, feel inspired, and learn something new and unexpected. In our gallery spaces we celebrate the best of international contemporary art, while supporting artists to create innovative work at every stage of their career.
We want to make Bristol a great place to see and make art. That’s why Spike Island provides a home to a community of over 70 artists, designers, makers, arts organisations and creative businesses, right in the heart of the city.
WE COMMISSION ARTISTS, AND PROGRAMME ENGAGING EXHIBITIONS AND PUBLIC EVENTS
Every year, Spike Island brings artists from all over the world to our museum-sized gallery spaces. We champion new and exciting work that we believe in, and support artists at all stages of their careers.
We want to provide an opportunity for emerging and established artists to create new work that they otherwise may not be able to make. In many cases, Spike Island offers an emerging artist their first major UK solo exhibition. At other times, we support more established artists to make work that is of crucial importance to their progression.
We aim to be a place where artists from all backgrounds can develop and collaborate. Spike Island is where artists are inspired to be productive, to take their career onto the next level, and to challenge our own thinking about contemporary art.
Alongside our gallery programme, we run a series of events to deepen your engagement with the art on display. These include gallery tours, artist talks, and creative workshops.
We also bring writers, thinkers and filmmakers into Spike Island, so you can connect with all forms of art and culture.
WE ARE A COMMUNITY
Spike Island’s founders were determined to create a community of artists, and support artists to stay in Bristol.
Our affordable artists’ studios continue that vision.
Spike Island is one of Europe’s largest studio complexes. We are home to over 70 artists, over 35 creative businesses, over 160 Associates, and hundreds of MA/BA Fine Art students of University of the West of England. Our community is built to support artists to develop their careers, gain new knowledge, and grow their networks.
That includes our volunteers. Not only do they help us inspire and inform our visitors, but we support them to create their own work, build networks, and develop as artists.
We are a vital part of the wider Bristol community — making Spike Island a great place to visit, and a great place to make art.
WE HELP ARTISTS PRODUCE THEIR WORK
From affordable studio space to specialist equipment, Spike Island is a place to make art.
Because we have our own Production team, we can offer hands-on, practical support — helping artists to access specialist equipment, assisting them in producing new work on site, and offering them the space and time they need to make and build a new exhibition.
Our production services cover everything from high-end projectors to a firing kiln. Our teams work with commissioned artists to build exhibitions on site, meaning that many of our exhibitions are constructed within our gallery spaces.
We also offer competitively-priced audio-visual equipment hire, so artists can access the technology and expertise they need to develop and make new work.