Every two years, artists from both Bristol and across the globe come together to celebrate a particular theme. The festival is known as Bristol Biennial, and has grown immensely since it was launched in 2012. Company director, Hannah Clark, is based in Pithay Studios. We called by to hear her story and plans.

Hannah’s Story

Hannah grew up in Newport, Wales. She moved to Surrey at 18 to study a foundation degree in Art and Design. Bristol wasn’t her first choice for university, though in retrospect she is over the moon to have moved here.

“Bristol is a great mix of natural, energetic and entrepreneurial.”

In 2012, Hannah’s final year of Fine Art and Visual Culture at UWE, she realised she was in need of some work experience. Hannah contacted Bristol Biennial curator, Catherine Bourne, to ask if she could assist the first Bristol Biennial festival. Hannah’s offer was happily accepted, so she worked on volunteer coordination alongside her final year degree show.

Directing Bristol Biennial

Hannah and Catherine became friends, and when Catherine announced that she was moving to Ireland, Hannah was left with a decision. Either Bristol Biennial were to be discontinued, or Hannah would become the company director. Four years and two festivals down the line, it seems that Hannah made the right decision. Bristol Biennial has become a hugely popular and anticipated event.

When Hannah took on the role of company director, she invited her boss and collaborator to get involved. They collectively felt there weren’t enough opportunities for emerging artists in Bristol, and that art needed to be more accessible. These values motivated the team to make Bristol Biennial what it is today.

In 2014, Hannah directed her first Bristol Biennial festival. The theme was Crossing the Line, and there was an explosion of interest. During the open call, the team considered 31 projects from 153 artists over 10 days.

What can we expect this year?

If you thought the Bristol Biennial team had their work cut out for them in 2014, the 2016 open call attracted 780 artist applications. The theme this year will be In Other Worlds, and the festival will be awarded funding from the Arts Council England.

“Looking through the applications takes a lot of time. It’s like reading multiple dissertations. It’s great to be exposed to so many ideas from so many people”.

Hannah and the team have chosen to focus on a smaller lineup in greater detail this year. She is especially looking forward to working with contemporary artist, Jo Hellier, and animal psychologists Performances for Pets.

“We will be working with a Bristol choir this year. They have an application that tracks the movements of the stars and translates them into sounds. They will be performing whilst the sun is setting.”

Bristol Biennial will be taking place between 2-10 September 2016. For more information, visit their website. You can also email hello@bristolbiennial if you’d like to get involved. There are opportunities to work as a guide to the festival, in exchange for freebies and tickets.