Read some of the highlights below and share your memories with us on Twitter @knowlewestmedia.
Having changed our name to Knowle West Media Centre, we received the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Award for Voluntary Service by Groups in the Community.
It had become clear that our building - the former William Budd Health Centre - wasn’t up to the standard we needed and we supported a group of local young people to gather ideas for a new centre. The Archimedia group consulted with residents, devised a project brief, and recruited White Design as the architects.
The former Health Centre was demolished in March 2007 and work began on a new purpose-built media centre.
The keys to the finished KWMC building were handed over on 14th February 2008 during a visit from the Chancellor the Exchequer, the Rt. Hon. Alistair Darling.
Knowle West residents were invited to open-air lunch to launch the University of Local Knowledge: a durational art work in collaboration with artist Suzanne Lacy. that aims to uncover and celebrate the skills and talents that exist within the area. ULK takes as its starting point the forms of knowledge existing differently in diverse communities, and through the metaphor of the university seeks to share the assets of a community.
The two-day ‘Demanding Conversations’ conference provided an opportunity for policy makers, practitioners and academics to meet and reflect on issues facing socially engaged arts practice.
During a tour of Bristol, His Royal Highness The Earl of Wessex visited KWMC and met residents and young people working with us to develop arts projects within the community.
The European Regional Development Fund awarded KWMC a £311,606 grant to support the development of eight small enterprises that utilise ‘green’ and digital technologies.
KWMC joined forces with students from the University of Bristol and the British Computer Society (BCS) to mentor 30 young people during a week of coding. During the event, run by Young Rewired State, young people built their own software applications - and two young people presented their ideas at Birmingham's Custard Factory at the end of the week.
We were visited by a delegation from China’s Expert Committee on Climate Change. Our team shared some of the lessons we've learned through partnership working with organisations across Europe on projects like 3eHouses and IES Cities.
On Friday 2nd May we had the honour of hosting the national broadcast of BBC Radio 4′s flagship political panel programme Any Questions? The panel, chaired by Jonathan Dimbleby, debated five questions including violence in schools, rent control and the increasing use of foodbanks across the UK. The panelists were George Eustice MP, media executive Kelvin Mackenzie, food writer and poverty campaigner Jack Monroe, and Mary Creagh MP.
A new community making space opened its doors for the first time...We worked with local organisation re:work to transform the empty youth centre on Newquay Road into the Eagle House Pop Up Furniture Factory. Three local people were hired as trainees and the team started producing furniture for the new Filwood Green Business Park.
KWMC became the first venue south of the river to host Shaun C Badham's neon artwork 'I'm Staying'. The switch-on event celebrated both the artwork's first birthday and the success of the Eagle House Pop Up Furniture Factory.
Knowle West was named as one of the Intelligent Community Forum’s (ICF) Smart21 Communities of 2017. The cities and communities in the select group were recognised for their work in applying ‘digital tools to building local economies and societies' and Knowle West was the only community in the UK to make the shortlist.
The We Can Make housing initiative launches after almost a year of research and experimentation. It aims to create sustainable, affordable housing that meets local needs and utilises local skills. In summer 2017 We Can Make built a prototype home next to Filwood Community Centre; in October local residents and Mayor of Bristol Marvin Rees stayed overnight to try it out.
Knowle West Alliance was formally launched. KWMC is one of the founding members of the partnership, which brings local residents, businesses and organisations together to support positive action in Knowle West.
The exhibition 100 Years of Knowle West Style opens, concluding a six month programme exploring and celebrating the hidden heritage of the area and marking 100 years since the first council estates were built in Bristol. The show includes new artwork by artists Holly Beasley-Garrigan, George Lovesmith and Lukus Robbins, created with local residents. Part of the city-wide programme Homes For Heroes 100.
KWMC The Factory works with artist Luke Jerram to manufacture the pieces of a new public artwork for display across Gloucester. ‘Of Earth and Sky’ was a large-scale poetry installation, where excerpts from poems were painted and installed in 31 parks and public places. Factory technicians made nearly 300 pieces for the installation, including stencils and giant letters.
We Can Make submits plans to Bristol City Council to build the first two We Can Make homes in Knowle West. Architects Studio Bark and Agile Designs collaborated with local families to create designs for affordable homes that will meet their needs and have a positive environmental and community impact.
During COVID-19 lockdown, KWMC works with local residents, engineers and Automated Architecture Labs to explore how digital construction tools could be used to design new homes and community spaces. When restrictions eased in the summer months, a team of people aged 10-76 constructed the Block West pavilion outside KWMC. The wooden pieces were cut locally at KWMC The Factory.
