‘For me, the beauty of a mooch is that you’ve got nowhere to be’
It’s become a bit of a ritual for me: the compulsory ‘mooch’. It’s just got to be done when landing in a new city. What i’ve come to learn from my foreign friends is that a mooch, defined by a casual walk with no particular destination, is a very British thing. For me, the beauty of a mooch is that you’ve got nowhere to be, your attention is purely focussed on being. Being in the moment. Because of this you seem to experience things differently, absorbing the smells, the sounds, the people, the atmosphere, all with a sprinkling of excitement.
‘It felt like art school, budget version of Mad Max, directed by Shane Meadows and embellished with the Bristolian accent’
Moving to Stokes Croft in Bristol was no exception to the rule. However, it didn’t feel like other cities i’d visited (or in this case moved to). I knew i’d found home when I wandered into The Social pub and was greeted by Nightmares on Wax playing against the backdrop of communal chatter and clinks of pint glasses. You just didnt get that type of music playing anywhere else. Stokes Croft back in 2014 was a slightly grotty, really quirky, bustling playground of people, street art and politics. Turbo Island was never without its dusty trodden grass, a makeshift soundsystem, pissed up locals and the smoulder of burning embers. It felt like an art school, budget version of Mad Max, directed by Shane Meadows and embellished with the Bristolian accent. I loved it.
The Peoples Republic of Stokes Croft
The first shop I walked into was the tiny China shop on Jamaica Street, PRSC. It was mad. Antique style crockery printed with contemporary designs that spoke to the area. It was like a museum of culture, with a bit of history, a bit of humour and a lot of balls. You could get China tea cups with the Anarchist ‘A’ slapped over it, or an image of the queen with ‘I eat swans’, or ‘We make our own future’ There were Graff books, postcards, posters, maps, the lot. It was a tourist information centre but for locals. The lady I got chatting with turned out to be the mum of Chris Chalkley. Chris apparently was the founder of PRSC, he helped lobby the council to get the first legal graffiti spots, he helped curate the development of the Bristol Bear and Bear Pit area and even the Bristol Scroll which became the hallmark of the city. The entire focus is on promoting civil liberty with a particular focus on public space.
Over the years I learnt a lot from this place. Their mailing list pointed me to communal events, inspired me to give back to the community, informed me of social issues. It gave you a sense of community, a sense of true pride in the place you live, a participatory approach to its culture that is bigger than just the brands and restaurants that occupy its streets. It helped me shape my creative work into something more than just a product or service.
‘No matter how hard I tried, I always found myself away from Bristol filming soundsystem related shenanigans for Minirig.’
Every year The Peoples Art Fair crop up in my emails. I felt compelled to contribute as PRSC had given me so much in the way of experiences, vision and a community based on the collective good. The years went by. It was slap bang in prime festival season. No matter how hard I tried, I always found myself away from Bristol filming soundsystem related shenanigans for Minirig. However, 2024 was the year, I finally made it happen and it felt proper good to be involved and to raise money for the cause.
I’d been working on a new body of work called the Inspire Series. Done in an old wood block print style, the works pulled together all the things that had changed me in some way, all things that represent Bristol, to me. I pulled some prints together and submitted them to the exhibition. The staff there were truly amasing. It’s all about the work, no pretentiousness or status. None of the works are given special treatment, all sit within a huge four walled collage of colour, styles and expression. I arrived early to the opening event and was greeted by the main curator. With a smile from ear to ear and a spring in her step she informed me that all of my framed pieces had already sold and there were only a few of my prints left. I was so happy to have helped. The commission from the event helped raise thousands of pounds for PRSC and all artists were paint swiftly and in full.
It just goes to show, business is not just for the profiteers.
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