WE MAKE OUR OWN FUTUREWill Stokes Croft ever have the future it desires?

Stokes Croft is an area on the north side of Central Bristol that is fast becoming Bristol’s answer to Camden Town. The whole area is currently undergoing a period of sustained urban renewal alongside the bustling inner city life Bristol has to offer. At the heart of this recent revival is the PRSC. This stands for the Peoples Republic of Stokes Croft. A community lead project with aims to maintain and transform the Stokes Croft area for the good of its people. With the skills of the entire community, PRSC hopes it will lead the area to revival and let it grow by itself, organically. Using the help of local artists, this is exactly what the Peoples Republic of Stokes Croft intend to do.The long term goal is to see the area transform itself into a hub of creativity and excitement. Already around Bristol the area is affectionately named ‘Bristol’s Cultural Quarter’. The name is befitting, as it’s the area that gave the world Banksy. His first creations adorned the brickwork up and down Kingston Street, with some still visible today. Alongside Banksy the area is alive with talented artists, not just graffiti but musicians, sculptures, painters, and performers. The streets thrive with street parties in the summer for all to enjoy, galleries suddenly spring up out of nowhere, exhibiting colourful local

artwork. In the middle of Kingston Street is the PRSC museum, which exhibits the art, history and the publicity that has surrounded the PRSC since its birth. Its a fascinating place where you really get to feel this movement and see where it’s come from and where it itends to go.

Banksy returns home

Maybe the main point of interest is left to Stokes Crofts prodigal son, Banksy. Not so long ago he took over Bristol Museum for a 12-week residency. With queues for the exhibition stretching back a mile and with waiting times often surpassing the four hour mark come rain or shine, the PRSC saw an opportunity. They saw the queues as possibly Banksy’s greatest peice of art. What started as the brainchild of Katy Bauer, The Banksy Q exhibition turned into the PRSC’s biggest and most ambitious project to date. They took to the queues armed with cards and pens with one simple ask, which was for the waiting public to simply, express themselves. This project lost a lot of pens and a lot of cards, but in the end PRSC managed to collect nearly 3500 artworks. The project was filmed and photographed and can be seen at The Banksy Q Exhibition, Kingston Street, Stokes Croft. It’s been labelled one of the most interesting and thought provoking exhibitions in Britain today.

sustaining stokes croft

The Peoples Republic of Stokes Croft has an ethos, and that is to generate sustainability, both in business practice and in its approach to every aspect of the development of the area. Apart from embracing the artistic side of the community, it’s encouraged that the locals take part in any way they feel they can. The project actively seeks new, innovate ways to tackle issues that confront the whole of its community, bringing concerns that the whole area faces and brings them to the attention of its people.This has never been so evident than with the recent campaign which has taken place to stop Tesco’s opening up a new store in area, which the PRSC argues is at the detriment of existing, local suppliers. The latest meeting in a long line recently took place. It was well attended, and the speeches submitted were universally against giving permission to Tesco’s to build. As soon as there possible arrival became common knowledge, there was furore. 2500 complaints were sent to the planning department. 93% of locals who were surveyed said they did not want a supermarket. Tesco’s failed to listen. For the supermarket, which claims that, ‘Community is at the Heart of everything

we do’ really is destroying the community in which they intend to serve.

power to the prsc people

With this application, PRSC feel Tesco’s have shown that there real goal is retail conquest by any means necessarily. Even at the detriment of Stokes Croft and its local economy. PRSC is fighting Tesco’s all the way as they strive to protect its community. During the final meeting, Mr Chalkey, founder of PRSC reminded the attending council committee members that Stokes Croft is a designated Conservation area, which is defined by their local businesses and their culture.

‘TAKE cOURAgE, bAcK ThE lOcAl cOMMUNiTy ANd REFUsE TO AllOW ANy sUpERMARKET chAiN iNTO OUR cOMMUNiTy, by All MEANs pOssiblE.’

Characteristics that are treasured in the community. He continued, ‘The proposed incursion of a ubiquitous supermarket chain represents the very antithesis of our community’s aspirations.’ He finished by saying, ‘Take courage, back the local community and refuse to allow any supermarket chain into our community, by all means possible.’Unfortunately for Mr Chalkey and the entire community, those pleads were ignored. Councilors voted 4-3 in favour of allowing Tesco’s to open. As the news broke, the meeting ended in uproar. Cries of ‘shame on you’ rang around the room as people were physically ejected by security, including Mr Chalkey. For so long now, Stokes Croft has been blighted by poor planning decision and for the locals this is just another point proved. The PRSC will continue to fight to develop the area, the way they feel, and the way the community agrees it should be run. The PRSC still believe Stoke’s Croft should be allowed to make their own future. But with decision being made like this, will they ever be allowed too?

For more information on the PRSC:

www.prsc.org.uk

PRSC Ground Floor, 37, Jamaica Street, Stokes Croft, Bristol. BS2 8JP

Tel. 07866627052

E-mail. Contact@prsc.org.uk

Opposite - Top: One of the few colourful murals which can be found in and around the Stokes Croft Area. Middle: The no Tesco’s campaign made it way to the streets in true Stokes Croft style. 3: The Banksy Q exhibition. Running until December 24th 2010.