Bump In The Night October 30th 2022

Invited Bristol dwellers of all ages to join in and celebrate Bristol's historical and cultural heritage through a spectacular lantern carnival on Sunday October 30th 2022. All of Bristol was invited to get involved in five different teams.

MEET THE LANTERNS

GHOST PORT

Draws on Bristol’s port city past and the central role of waterways now flowing under the city streets and the pubs that hosted port side life. This section will create a giant illuminated ghost ship from willow and tissue paper for the procession. It will be visually inspired by the Llandoger Trow & the stories surrounding it.

ANANSI

Bringing to life one of the great figures of west African and Caribbean folklore, preserved and shared through oral tradition in Bristol's African and Caribbean communities.

PATRICK COTTER - ANOTHER BRISTOL GIANT

Born in Ireland, a roofer by trade the 8ft tall Cotter was brought to England against his will as a human exhibit when he was 18. Rebelling against his exploitation, he refused to be shown for third party profit. After some time in Newgate jail, a Bristol merchant assisted Cotter to set up as a one-man show where he earned a large personal fortune. Exploiting stereotypes of Irish folklore, Cotter became a renowned entertainer who only went out at night as being seen in public was bad for business.

BRISTOL BATS

Celebrating the prevalence of wild bats across Bristol and their importance as pollinators. This is an easy access workshop for everyone in Bristol to join & for community groups to run independently. Live on street workshops and a YouTube film, will invite the public to fabricate bat lanterns from a waste milk bottle adding wings infused with the seeds of night scented flowers. Participants will be encouraged to come to the procession and both recycle the bat body at the end of the procession and plant the seed paper in gardens in the spring.

Funded by

Supported by

Bump In The Night is being delivered as one of the activities under the City Centre and High Streets Recovery and Renewal programme, funded by Bristol City Council and the West of England Combined Authority’s Love our High Street project.