Four New Artists Explore Bristol's Shifting Currents
How does our relationship with where we live change over time? And how does a city in a constant state of change shift our perception of what ‘home’ is? Over the last year and a bit, we’ve been exploring these questions and more as part of Confluence – our evolving residency programme, commissioned by Ginkgo Projects.
Confluence describes where waters meet – a place of convergence, blending, and transformation. It’s a natural metaphor for dynamic exchange, where individual streams merge to form something new, larger and more powerful. Like rivers carving their paths into the landscape, individuals shape and are shaped by the places they inhabit.
Through Confluence, we have invited Bristol-based artists to delve into their personal relationships with an evolving city. Through dance, photography, film, live performance and poetry, artists are invited to explore how their own currents intersect with the ever-shifting tides of Bristol’s identity, creating a tapestry of stories that flow together into a collective reflection on the city's many changes.
In 2023 and 2024, we held interventions in Redcliffe with artists who developed new ideas reflecting on Bristol’s rich culture. We are thrilled to be announcing the names of four more incredible artists collaborating with us on this final stage of Confluence. Dhaqan Collective, Howl Yuan, Iman Sultan West and Ramelle Williams will each contribute their own creative response to the project. Following activity at Mayfest 2024, we saw Esther May Campbell’s giddy group photo & art show with Kitchen Table Photo Club which premiered at St Anne’s House in November 2024.
Over the next few months there will be opportunities to experience more work and actively participate in building a snapshot of Bristol’s present as well as a vision for its future. Follow us on socials and join our mailing list to stay up to date with upcoming events and interventions. In the meantime, we asked the artists to share a little bit about their practice and what Bristol means to them. You can read each of their responses below. To find out more about Confluence, head to the website here.
Dhaqan Collective
Dhaqan Collective is led by Fozia Ismail and Ayan Cilmi. Their practice seeks to find ways of building imaginative futures that support Somali people here and in East Africa to resist the threats over our cultural heritage. The collective uses everyday materials, cassette tapes, food, and textiles, to create spaces of community, joy and healing that centre the full range of Somali diasporic experiences.
Based in Bristol, they are residents of Watershed’s Pervasive Media Studio and Spike Island Studio holders. Their work has been commissioned and presented by Watershed, Arnolfini, Counterpoint Arts, British Library, London School of Economics, Wellcome Collection, Serpentine Gallery, Sharjah Art Foundation, Southbank Centre, Moderna Museet in Stockholm, Venice Architecture Biennial and the Weltmuseum in Vienna. In 2023 they received the WEVAA fellowship for their ongoing research into black feminist material cultures. Most recently they have been selected for Columbia University’s Digital Dozen Breakthroughs in Digital Storytelling 2024.
What does Bristol mean to you?
Bristol means to us two different things:
Ayan: It is my home, not my place of birth but where I have spent most of my life minus 3 years which means I'm a "proper Bristolian." Whatever that means. I have moved across the city, living in most of its pockets, experiencing each part of the city and getting to know its very many facets. I have lived in St Pauls, Bishopston, Fishponds, Bedminster and Montpelier. I keep all of its parts with me as I move and navigate the city knowing what it means to belong and be other.
Fozia: For me, Bristol is complicated. I love its radical history, access to beautiful green spaces, amazing food produce and stunning waterfront. However, it was the first place that I experienced racism (direct and indirect). I grew up in a very diverse part of London and although the city is very diverse there is still segregation that plays out.
Howl Yuan
Howl Yuan, a Taiwanese performance maker, writer and curator. Yuan’s practices focus on transcultural identity, mobility, space/place/site, and decolonised discourse. His works span different formats but are primarily performance-based, presenting at theatres, galleries, festivals, beaches or home gardens. Yuan is also the co-host of Ming’s Strike, a monthly-update, ESEA arts podcast.
What does Bristol mean to you?
My Google Maps saves more locations in Bristol than Taipei, where I was born and grew up. Bristol’s like my palm prints, entangled, intricate and all connected to me.
Iman Sultan West
Iman Sultan West is an artist, poet and curator based in Bristol. They are founder and director of the Shiiku Community, programming events around the city. Iman wants to explore how community can be brought together through creativity and curiosity. Their poetry uses humour and rhythm, weaving a path to understanding heritage, neurodiversity, mental health and relationships. Their silly sosage syllabic poetry is fun, lighthearted and sometimes laced with undertones of melancholic mania.
What does Bristol mean to you?
Currently, Bristol means home, means work, means friends. Means unearthing its histories and questioning the land we live on. Means missing my family. Means walking 20 mins into town because my bike has a flat tire. Means sending off applications and performing for audiences who don’t know me. Means performing to audiences who do know me, means hugging them at the end of a wild show of impromptu laughter and poems about poo. Means getting home soaking from the rain. Means hosting poetry workshops in my living room, squashed in by the Christmas tree and our noisy cat. Means my favourite panini from Cafe Amore. Means super expensive bills but super fluffy slippers.
Ramelle Williams
Ramelle’s William’s dance journey began in 2008 with Angels Dance Academy, where his team claimed second place at the ISAF Worlds—a moment that solidified his love for performance. During his time there, he also discovered his passion for teaching, leading dance classes and inspiring others to move.
After relocating to London, Ramelle found himself thriving in the competitive scene, winning battles like Breaking the Bay, World of Dance, What You Got, and Go Hard or Go Home. Each victory pushed him to refine his craft and deepen his connection to the art of dance.
Ramelle’s journey then brought him to Jukebox Collective, where he expanded his skills as a performer, teacher, and choreographer. He performed in productions like Casablanca, choreographed original works, and developed innovative teaching methods to share his knowledge with the next generation of dancers.
Beyond the stage, Ramelle’s work has been featured in Virgin advertisements and the YouTube series Ritual, showcasing his versatility as a performer. He’s also graced some of the UK’s biggest stages, including Glastonbury, Boomtown, and Love Festival.
From competitive battles to transformative performances, Ramelle constantly pushing boundaries, inspiring others, and evolving as an artist. Dance isn’t just what Ramelle does – it’s who he is.
What does Bristol mean to you?
Bristol has shaped who I am, embedding itself into every stage of my life. Growing up here as a kid, I built relationships that continue to flourish to this day. At 17, I was dancing in the streets with friends, embracing the city’s vibrant energy. Together, we formed a crew called the Jam Collective, a reflection of the creative freedom Bristol inspires. That’s when my roots started to grow, though I didn’t fully understand back then just how much of an impact this place would have on me.
After living in London and Cardiff, I always felt drawn back to Bristol. Moving back as an adult felt natural, and I’ve never looked back. Returning meant being part of the open mic and live music scene, where I could perform and truly connect with others. Bristol’s culture – its music, creativity, and openness – has played a massive role in helping me discover who I am as both an artist and a person. The city’s energy gave me the confidence to explore and express myself in ways I never could elsewhere.
Being in Bristol has helped me find my feet and grounded me in ways I didn’t expect. The city’s pace keeps me present and grateful, and I’ve never felt out of place here.
From day one, Bristol has shown me love. It’s brought me closer to myself, provided opportunities, and given me a sense of family and belonging that I couldn’t have dreamed of. Bristol has become my home – a place filled with life and wholesome moments I feel are rare elsewhere. Whether it’s someone stopping to help a homeless person or strangers exchanging a genuine hello, these small moments of kindness remind me that Bristol thrives on human connection.
Over the years, I’ve seen the community come together, helping one another in ways that give me hope for humanity. Witnessing this inspires me to contribute and give back to the city that has supported me through thick and thin.
I honestly feel like my journey here is only just beginning, and I’m excited to see how I can grow with this city that’s given me so much.
Esther May Campbell
Esther May Campbell, founder of Kitchen Table Photo Club (KTPC), is an award winning artist working with film and photography. She uses sound recording, storytelling, myth making and place-based practices to link humans more closely to our bodies, places and the earth. Alongside Chiz Williams and the members of KTPC, Esther explores the relationship between image-making, story & play. Chiz works to define, blur and re-imagine arts and social work with all kinds of enterprises and groups such as RADMIN, Cables & Cameras, Packers FC, The Cube Microplex, LISA, Qu Junktions and KIN. Esther and KTPC’s recent commissions include image making with Wye River Festival and 378,432,000,000 Seconds of Exposure photo and live art show with MAYK at St Anne’s House.
What does Bristol mean to you?
Everywhere needs creativity as a means to build culture. Culture is the process of living sustainably in the land and in the time we’re in. Bristol has historically been a place where one can squirrel away unnoticed for a while to work. Go deep into the play, the practice and land. It has been a good place for ideas to compost. A place that might offer artists both support and privacy. For many of us producing good practice relies on that tension between exposure, transmission and not being seen too much. Soon as Bristol goes too much into the light, the kind of artists that need the shadows will likely fall to the wayside.