Highlights of 2021
It’s been a BIG year with a lot of change and we can’t wait to reflect over the next few weeks on everything that’s happened in the whirlwind of Rising before we log off for the year and down tools to REST because it’s a REVOLUTIONARY ACT don’t cha know?
We encourage anyone who’s engaged in our work this year or admired it from afar to support what we do so we can remain independent and revolutionary for another 5 years
1. WE TURNED FIVE!
photo from the 5th birthday party of Kamina and Eli from the team watching video messages for Kamina to celebrate her time at Rising
With a chill party to celebrate the 5 whole years that Rising has been going and the amazing woman who made it all happen - our Founder Kamina Walton.
She's now stepped into her role as Non-Executive Director and welcomed Euella Jackson and Jess Bunyan as Rising's new Co-Directors. And we can't wait to see what they do with the next 5 years!
2. OUR CULTURE
An illustration of money next to a quote that reads: everything has monetary value and creating how disabled you are. It's almost like money equals worth because how much you work equals money. Illustration by Ellisha Brinkhurst
Funded by Co-Creating Change, Our Culture was a meaningful engagement project centring the experiences of young people who identify as d/deaf or hard of hearing, working class, disabled and/or from a migrant or asylum seeker background in our community.
Through it, we co-created spaces for gathering, connection and discussion about the change we still urgently need to see in the sector. In 2022, we’re going to be working together to make it happen.
3. RESOURCING RACIAL JUSTICE
An illustration of Dilhani Wijeyesekera with a quote from the this is the work event that reads: all work is valued but when we're being led by the lived + technical experience of those affected by a particular oppression that's really powerful. Illustration by Jae Tallawah
Another project that's been doing the work behind the scenes - and not - this year is Resourcing Racial Justice which funded Roseanna Dias as a Researcher/Agitator. As part of the project Roseanna carved out time for her and other POC team members to reflect together and resource their rest to honour and acknowledge the personal impact of doing social justice work.
We paid 20 POC freelancers to rest alongside delivering events, workshops and sessions for our community. We also offered 10 Get Paid to Rest grants for any POC to put towards anything they like. We're now embedding this into our fees for any direct inclusion work.
4. WHOSEFUTURE
We did it again! Our WhoseFuture campaign took over the streets of Bristol this summer to sprinkle reminders across the city to rest and take care of yourself. This years campaign was colourful and squiggly thanks to designer Ash Kayser. 34 artists from our community contributed words and artwork that challenged hustle culture and colonial attitudes to work and wellbeing.
Next year we're listening to that advice and taking things a bit s l o w e r - more to come soon!
5. BE IT YEAR 2
a photograph of Rosina from be it cohort 2 sat chatting at our 5th birthday party
Right from that point up to the work the cohort are doing now within and outside/around the programme the cohort have absolutely smashed it and we can’t wait to see what they all do next!
Led by the dream team of Roseanna Dias (her again!) and Will Taylor this year we’ve brought the cohorts together more than ever and reflected, adapted and learnt more than ever. We can’t wait to share more of the work they’ve been doing very soon.
6. MY LIBRARY MY SPACE
Following on from RE/IMAGINE consultultaion, Bristol Libraries commissioned us to do deeper engagement work around Junction 3 Library. It was a project filled with many pivots - thanks Covid! - and relating to space when it was difficult to be in one together. But Leeza Awojobi, Alexa Ledecky and Malizah totally pulled it out of the bag.
They recruited a cohort of local young people who produced creative provocations for how to think differently about our libraries as public spaces and community hubs for young people and others.
7. BRISTOL BEACON REBRAND
black and white photo of people from rising's community overlaid with Bristol Beacon's branded frame and the words Make Space for Rising written across it
It was such an honour to be part of rethinking a major Bristolian institution. Artists Rosa ter Kuile, Jazz Thompson and Greg Keen worked with designers Saboteur to develop a new look for a new name.
On February 10th next year we'll be taking over Bristol Beacon to celebrate this partnership and bring more of Rising's community into the building - stay tuned!
8. NATIONAL TRUST PODCAST
An still from a video about the national trust with Abbi Bayliss asking if their spaces are for young people, overlaid on a close up of a tree
As part of working with the National Trust on their Children and Young People strategy artists Abbi Bayliss, Jake Gaule and Joe Hill created two Wellbeing Walk podcasts for their platform - one for inside and one for outside.
9. CABOT INSTITUTE BILLBOARDS FOR COP26
an photograph of two posters up in Bristol one that represents research on drylands and another on glaciers
Using creativity to communicate big ideas these posters and billboards by Emma Blake Morsi showcased key elements of climate research from Bristol's very own Cabot Institute. They then travelled up to Glasgow for COP26 in November.
We've currently got another collab in the works that will be on the streets of Bristol next year.
Find out more about the Cabot Institute
10. TRAINING
a photo of people knelt on the ground signing a poster that reads we are rising
Finally it's maybe not as exciting as the rest but this year we did a bunch of training that's affected how we work and relate to each other. We finally were able to complete a Mental Health First Aid course together with Mind and a lovely instructor as well as Conflict Resolution training with Community Resolve.
Basically we're now equipped for a whole host of serious, non-serious, difficult situations and conversations. Combined with last years coaching training with RD1st it's led to better communication and working more care-full-y.
That's it - thanks to everyone we worked with this year (honorary mentions to Docklands, Arnolfini Picture of Health exhibition and Ambient Lit!) and thanks for stopping to reflect and celebrate some of the amazing work we've done this year!