New documentary released on the current state of Bristol’s venue culture
Posted on: 06 Oct 2022Through the words of venue owners, promoters, DJs and nightlife campaigners, ‘Closing Announcement’ aims to commemorate the versatility and adaptability of the people of Bristol.
The fifty-three-minute documentary focuses on the causes of the recent closures of venues and clubs in the city as well as celebrates the opening of some of the city’s newer cultural hotspots.
‘Closing Announcement’ was released this week and is available to watch on YouTube below...
Presented by Stellar Media and Screenology, ‘Closing Announcement’ shines a light on venues and clubs within the city, with a focus on those recently closed (such as Old Crown Courts and Blue Mountain) and those newly opened (including Strange Brew, Propyard and Lost Horizon).
The documentary explores key themes such as the need for housing, gentrification within the city, COVID and its effect on venues, diversity within the scene and predictions of what’s ahead for the venue community through a series of interviews with members of the community
Speaking to these important cultural figures, the piece takes the viewer on a journey from sadness and nostalgia at a changing venue landscape to hope and pride in Bristol’s diverse music scene.
‘Closing Announcement’ is the brainchild of director, producer, editor and writer Iwan Lewis and Stellar’s Joshua Thomas as Director of Photography. Iwan is a dexterous content creator and founder of Stellar Media, as well as the music label Stellar Audio
The film came about after the success of Stellar Media’s ‘Mountain in the City’ documentary, exploring the history of Blue Mountain. Following the closure of the much-loved club and others such as Old Crown Court, Iwan began looking into Bristol’s venue climate, post and pre-COVID.
Following the idea’s conception, Iwan, Joshua and their team went about conducting and filming twenty separate interviews for the edit, each filmed at various venues around the city, the product: a sleek and intriguing expose on the current state of Bristol’s rich network of music venues.
There is no doubt that Bristol’s music scene is going through a tough time at the moment, but; listening to the venue owners, promoters, DJs and music lovers interviewed here; it is clear to see the passion and hard work that goes into making the city’s night time economy such a diverse and distinctive community.
The documentary’s interview subjects include Mark Davis (Basement 45), Jenna Graves (Cloak and Dagger), Steffan Chelland (Gravity/Old Crown Courts), Tom Burnside (Lakota), Lawrence Walker (Lost Horizon), Dan Deeks (Motion), Leigh Dennis (Strange Brew), Kam Gorman (The Full Moon + Attic Bar) and Jamell Ackford (Trinity) and many more.
‘Closing Announcement’ is available to watch now on YouTube.
To find out more about Stellar Media's work, head to their Facebook page.
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Stan is a born and bred Bristolian, recently graduated from studying English Literature in Sheffield. His passions are music and literature and he spends the majority of his time in venues all over the city, immersing himself in Bristol’s alternative music scene. A lifelong Bristol City fan, Stan’s Saturdays are spent watching his team both home and away.
