The Island

The Island

Former police station turned creative playground


The Island is a vibrant multi-use venue in the heart of Bristol city centre. Once occupied by Bridewell Police Station, it’s been in the hands of community arts charity Artspace Lifespace since 2008.

Home to over 100 resident artists, The Island boasts a diverse mix of spaces and facilities including dance and circus training studios, a sewing room and an art gallery, while doubling up as a thriving events venue – covering live music, workshops and classes, immersive performance art, and more.

After dark the Edwardian cells come alive with experimental club nights, recent highlights including Timedance’s forward-thinking techno and bass nights, jungle, soul and Afrobeats from Nightspace, and late-night sessions from leftfield festival En Masse.

The 300-capacity venue is at basement level and is not wheelchair accessible. Free tickets are available for personal assistants. See https://artspace.uk/venue/the-island/ for details of the different event spaces within the building.

What's On At The Island

Bristol Hoop School at The Island
— The Island
Voices Of The Diaspora at The Island
— The Island
exhibition
Avon Terror Corps w/ DJ DIE SOON, Logic Lost, Noise Hz, Orderly Room + More at The Island
— The Island
experimental noise industrial techno electronic
Open Sewing Studio - Support Sessions at The Island
— The Island
workshops & classes
Absolute Beginners Sewing Introductions at The Island
— The Island
workshops & classes
Introduction To Professional Wrestling 2 Hour Workshop at The Island
— The Island
workshops & classes theatre sport & exercise
When Being Found Begins at The Island
— The Island
exhibition
Rut x forma: Syz, Small Crab, SSSLIP, Beton Brut & severine at The Island
— The Island
experimental house techno dubstep
Absolute Beginners Sewing Course - The Cushion  at The Island
— The Island
workshops & classes
Late Delivery: Rene Wise at The Island
— The Island
experimental techno minimal techno industrial techno
FAGBUTT presents: LOVER'S MISTAKE at The Island
— The Island
hyperpop lgbtq+ house techno reggaeton
Behave. Presents Jorg Kuning at The Island
— The Island
house electro acid house progressive house minimal tech house
RTN w/ TBA at The Island
— The Island
lgbtq+ techno
Here and Now at The Island
— The Island
exhibition
Absolute Beginners Sewing Course - The Cushion  at The Island
— The Island
workshops & classes
Rainbow Magic at The Island
— The Island
lgbtq+ exhibition
The Repair Workshops - Hems at The Island
— The Island
workshops & classes
Beginners Pattern Cutting Course at The Island
— The Island
workshops & classes
Stitched Textiles Course   at The Island
— The Island
workshops & classes
The Repair Workshop - Seams at The Island
— The Island
workshops & classes

Get a feel for The Island

Our recent recommendations for The Island

Sell out warning! Now’s your chance kid, WWE are on the phone and you need to get in shape FAST with this 2 hour introduction to the crazy world of pro wrestling. Seasoned champs Chuck Mambo and Kyri are here to guide you through everything, from beginners' floorwork to holds and character development – BYO spandex! Introduction To Professional Wrestling 2 Hour Workshop at The Island.

Unruly dystopian clatter and warped club mutations from Bristol’s DIY ATC noise extremists. DJ Die Soon summons distorted phantasmagoria and apocalyptic oscillations; Logic Lost locks into abrasive industrial techno pressure and collapsing rhythms. A HEAVY one indeed FFO: Senyawa, Sunn O))), Dis Fig, 5 Gate Temple. Avon Terror Corps w/ DJ DIE SOON, Logic Lost, Noise Hz, Orderly Room + More at The Island.

PWYC entry! Bristol DIY heads Grama pull together another winning assemblage of underground heroes. Lock in for Moli’s dreamy ambient techno and weightless dubwise explorations, Dan Thorman & Winkles’ deeper-than-deep vinyl obscurities, and Mackenzie dialling up the dungeon club pressure. Local legends spinning all night long - grassroots community club night.

Seriously weighty stuff from Rome’s hypnotic techno mover DJ Red, stepping into The Probe’s next immersion chamber from the ashes of her much-missed residency at Goa Club (RIP). She’s locking heads seamlessly with Negative Affect’s haunting, introspective late-night tekkers, flipping The Island into an infinite Tresor-esque wormhole of tessellating 4/4 dankness. Cool and deadly headwork, DJ Red will apply her technical prowess with an otherworldly ability to send it down the wormhole like no other!

Joining her we invite the unique style of LA native Negative Affect!

RTN are taking the techno marathon reins in a bank holiday sesh for the books! 12 hours of pure 4/4 grit with the sounds of Surgeon Girl’s synth-driven atmospherics, industrial kinetics from Livid, Öspiel’s textural EBM live ‘n direct + abrasive sculptural sonics from Sorcery and Rommek’s b2b debut. 12 hours at The Island with the key artists reshaping the language of techno.