Stokes Croft, what is in fact just a tiny portion of Bristol flanked by Kingsdown and St. Pauls, arguably gets more press than its diminutive proportions demand. A favoured focus for projects by arts students and creative types alike, it does seem as though ‘Stokes Croft’ is an increasingly trendy topic of conversation. Is this simply because it is increasing accessible, whilst still retaining its edge? Or could it be more because of what Stokes Croft stands for; inviting debate over traditional authority versus power to the people? Much of the recent interest in the area has been in the wake of the establishment of the People’s Republic of Stokes Croft (PRSC). Launched in September 2007, the organisation aims to, ‘promote creativity and activity in the local environment’, as well as ‘ the notion of Stokes Croft as a Cultural Quarter’. I went to speak to founder, Chris Chalkley, to find out if Stokes Croft warranted the attention.
Chalkley explained how on moving his studios to the area in 2006, it became increasingly apparent that, ‘what was already here was an artistic community like nothing else, living cheek by jowl with extreme deprivation and an embedded drugs culture.’ Home to Banksy’s, The Mild Mild West, Stokes Croft has indeed become renowned for its graffiti artists, yet while the area is inextricably linked to street art, there is in fact a bustling artistic community in the area whose work is not restricted to the streets. This is seen in the Jamaica Street Artists, Bristol’s largest art collective, located in the old carriage works on Jamaica Street, providing affordable workspace for artists across the community. Spokesman Andrew Hood is currently hoping to raise the £300,000 necessary to buy the grade II listed building and safeguard its future as a, ‘permanent artistic hub in the centre of Bristol’. Similarly, Co-exist, based at Hamilton House across the road, provides a range of spaces for, ‘artists, social entrepreneurs, craftspeople and community groups’.
This year has seen Bristol’s art galleries demonstrating a growing recognition of street art as both a legitimate art form, and an integral part of the city - The Royal West of England Academy showcased a number of Bristol street artist’s work in their Crimes of Passion exhibit, which was followed by the overwhelming success of Banksy versus Bristol Museum at Bristol's City Museum & Art Gallery. Such publicity has reignited interest in the art of Stokes Croft and Chalkley recognises Banksy’s importance, deeming his actions ‘exciting... because of the realisation that in no other way can you make such a big noise with such slender resources.’ A noise not without ramifications, as Chalkley’s recent arrest under the Criminal Damage Act shows. However, he is keen to point out that despite his organisations associations with graffiti, ‘it’s not about street art, that’s really important to understand. This is a conservation area.’ With the focus more on improving the visual environment, the PRSC would like to see Stokes Croft as an, ‘outdoor gallery, which the local people curate’, deciding to choose artistic stimulus over CCTV signs and advertising hoardings.
However any discussion with Chalkley soon reveals that the PRSC is about much more than simply wielding aerosols. As well as a desire to conserve, ‘industrial heritage’, there is an impressive focus on tackling the issues of addiction and crime in the area. ‘We are approaching big issues with direct action,’ Chalkley says, hoping to lead by example to, ‘investigate how to solve problems on a micro scale here.’ In amongst his more idealistic hopes for a region free of multinationals and housing development, there are tangible goals that can only benefit the entire community, such as establishing local industry and wet clinics for alcoholism. Stokes Croft is the centre of, ‘a major city and development will come. Really what we are about is what kind of development takes place.’
Whilst Chalkley may believe that, ‘nothing is inevitable’, a different kind of development is bound to take place in the area. Westmore Land House, the 1960 office block that has been abandoned since 1986, is going for public enquiry, with the aim of a redevelopment for housing, and there has been lengthy discussion over the redevelopment of Clockwork and Lakota. Bentleigh Burgess, owner of Lakota, cares deeply for the area, although he could easily be made a scapegoat for development – planning permission was granted for Lakota in June 2008, though this is subject to judicial review. Current plans mean, ‘the club will go, in its present form, and be replaced by flats, commercial areas and a small club and bar’, although not for a few more years. Burgess also confirmed that the old Jesters on Cheltenham Road will be becoming a supermarket. Although he and Chalkley have, ‘very different visions’, he believes his own plans for creating decent residential areas, ‘is what will change the atmosphere... get people living down there who actually care -right now it is transient, a thoroughfare’.
With some developers being mindful of the local community – plans involve making a significant portion of the Lakota redevelopment affordable housing – it seems only fair to encourage those like Burgess, whose family has owned the club and other businesses there for years, through times when there was very little interest in the area. This is a sentiment echoed by Matt Otridge, manager of the Croft, who, not only confirmed that the Croft would not be going anywhere soon, but also said that whilst what the PRSC are doing is, ‘cool, its positive... we were doing this before everyone started talking about Stokes Croft’.
Scepticism aside, ‘Stokes Croft’ is certainly not just hype; it is the last central area of Bristol to have attention paid to it, and has the promise of an exciting future. The PRSC has raised the profile of Stokes Croft, which is exactly what they ‘intended to do’, and while Chalkley doesn’t claim to have any of the answers, as he says, ‘just the very fact that we pushed a little bit of the way and caused a little bit of a stir is already a start’. Whilst it is highly likely that Stokes Croft receives attention over equally troubled areas of Bristol purely because it is literally the closest to home, there is real talent here and despite the inevitable conflicts of interest, it seems entirely possible that there can be a resolution to these varied visions of the region.
Bristol's City Museum & Art Gallery hosts a month-long preview exhibition of work from members of the Jamaica Street Artists, starting on November 6. Free entry, open daily 10am-5pm.
Lucy Fulford
16/11/2009
