Ace & Tate collaborated with Crack Magazine to produce a limited edition publication, BS-ME. We’re super proud to launch in Bristol, the untamed jewel of the West Country. 86 Park Street is also our second ever UK store, so of course we wanted to get to know some of the downright great people who are doing amazing things in the city.
Joe, Danielle, Nikesh, Eno & Jo are just a few of the talented creatives who’ve been inspired by the Bristol's energy. They’ve then gone all out to inspire other people within the community, through their bold and courageous work. We can’t wait to make more local friends.
Art Direction: Crack Magazine
Photography: Dean Davies
Joe Talbot is the frontman of Bristol-built punk band IDLES. The band formed in 2012, but reached a far larger audience with the release of their debut album ‘Brutalism’ in 2016. As a lyricist and performer, he confronts people, politics and his own personal experiences with brutal honesty and wry humour. We spoke to the singer about celebrating difference, hard work, and the misunderstood merits of violence.
“One of the things I always tell people when they ask about Bristol is that the celebration of difference is key to our city. It’s a powerful example to people outside of community spirit: allowing young people to be expressive and create things” - Joe Talbot.
Danielle Doobay is a Bristol-based illustrator, and one of the DJs behind Mix Nights – the informal DJ skills workshop run for women, by women. We talked about her various creative outputs, and the people and places that made them possible.
“We’re not saying ‘be a DJ in eight weeks. We’re offering access for people to learn with people they feel comfortable with” - Danielle Doobay.
Jo Bligh is the producer and curator behind Bristol collective Thorny, who provide a platform for the city’s marginalised voices through club nights, performance art and live music. As a hardworking, vocal and creative non-binary voice, they have influenced a huge shift in visibility for Bristol’s queer community. We discussed their fight to be heard by the city and the explosive joy of claiming space through dance, laughter and provocation.
“Obviously safety is paramount, but if you’re going to invite a diverse group of people to something it’s about listening to what they need and giving them an opportunity to feed into the conversation" - Jo Bligh
Eno Mfon is a playwright originally from London, who graduated from Bristol University two years ago. Her experiences of the city were mixed: she felt lost in the confines of the university, yet through building a creative network soon found space for her work to flourish. Her plays since have been deft in their handling of race and family, with a particular focus on Nigeria where Eno’s mother is from. We spoke about communicating identity through theatre, finding a place in Bristol and how much of herself she is prepared to give.
"I think in my writing moving forward I want to challenge myself. What other parts of my identity can I find? There is more to me than I can see right now. Through my writing I want to find those parts that are hidden. Those secrets" - Eno Mfon
Positioning himself at the zeitgeist of identity politics in the UK with 2016's The Good Immigrant, Nikesh Shukla is an esteemed editor, author and curator of stories from people of colour. Shukla is also a known mentor to aspiring young creatives in Bristol. Through his work at the Watershed's community project Rife, he left last a lasting imprint on the city's diverse hotbed of talent.
"Creativity often happens at a point towards the full cliff drop into chaos. Being on the edge, about to drop, thrashing around, trying to find something, anything, yourself, your sense of being, your people, that’s where I get my best work done" - Nikesh Shukla
BS-ME is available for a limited period in Ace & Tate's Park Street store, Bristol.
Read more online at Crack Magazine.
Shop frames online at Ace & Tate.
Companies
Crack Magazine
- Publishing