Watershed opened in June 1982 as the United Kingdom's first dedicated media centre.[1][2] Based in former warehouses on the harbourside at Bristol, it hosts three cinemas, a café/bar, events/conferencing spaces, the Pervasive Media Studio,[3] and office spaces for administrative and creative staff. It occupies the former E and W sheds on Canon's Road at Saint Augustine's Reach, and underwent a major refurbishment in 2005. The building also hosts UWE eMedia Business Enterprises,[4] Most of Watershed's facilities are situated on the second floor of two of the transit sheds. The conference spaces and cinemas are used by many public and private sector organisations and charities. Watershed employs the equivalent of over seventy full-time staff and has an annual turnover of approximately £3.8 million. As well as its own commercial income (through Watershed Trading), Watershed Arts Trust is funded by national and regional arts funders.[5]
Cinema, Culture & Technology, Cafe & Bar, Conferencing
Director
Clare Reddington
Public transit access
Bus, ferry
Website
www.watershed.co.uk
A 2010 report for the International Futures Forum describes the Watershed as "a creative ecosystem, operating in many different and overlapping economies," which is "pushing the creative boundary" by fostering both the invention and consolidation of new work.[6]
The centre opened in 1982, in an area of the city which was then mainly derelict.[5] The transit sheds, dating from 1894, had fallen into disrepair but had Grade II listed building status.[7][8] By 2004, it was attracting more than half a million visitors per year.[2] A major refurbishment in 2004/5 cost £2 million, creating a third cinema, extending the café/bar and making the building more accessible.[9] Patrons could sponsor seats in the new cinema, and the first to take advantage of this was the film and television actor Pete Postlethwaite.[9][10]
FilmEdit
In addition to its world/arts film programme, Watershed has played host to (and helped organise and run) many film festivals, including RESFest 2002,[11] Depict!, Brief Encounters (now Encounters Short Film and Animation Festival), the Lesbian and Gay Film Festival, Black Pyramid, Latin America Week, VisionSign (celebrating deaf moving image culture),[12] and Slapstick Film Festival. Wildscreen, a festival of wildlife documentaries and related films, began at the Watershed[2] as did Afrika Eye (an annual festival of African Cinema), in 2005.
Regular activities include evening classes, special film events, a film discussion group - Cinephiles, and educational screenings with introductions and documentation.[13]British Film Institute touring programmes are regularly screened. The Keeping it Reel Series aimed at 12- to 15-year-olds has, since 1997, offered young people the chance to discover what happens behind the scenes in the film industry. It was launched in 1997 by Paul McGann and featured lectures & seminars by local actor Christopher Morris, Shawn Sobers of HTV, filmmaker Fergus Colville, Casualty make up artist, Chrissie Powell and EastEnders executive producer Matthew Robinson. The BFI Film Academy Bristol is aimed at 16-19-year olds.[14]
In 2000, The Independent on Sunday's list of "five of the best indie cinemas" put the Watershed at the top, citing its wide-ranging, international programme.[15] A 2002 poll for The Guardian rated the Watershed as Britain's fifth-most popular independent cinema.[16]
Digital mediaEdit
The watershed building and harbour
Watershed is more than just an arts cinema. It is at once a cultural centre, a business broker, a social networker, a research and innovation facility, a café/bar, and a cultural tourist attraction.[17]
For the first twenty years of its existence, the Watershed concentrated on film and photography. In the 21st century it has increasingly taken up online media and multimedia, to the point that it has more visitors online than in person.[5]
In the digital domain, Watershed's dShed.net website displays digital art from international artists alongside work by local community groups. It hosts the annual online short-film festival Depict.org, selecting "micro films" (no more than ninety seconds long) from around the world, giving a cash prize to the winner. In 2006, eShed.net began development as a showcase for digital art made by young people in and around Bristol. Staff at Watershed were also involved with creating and running electricpavilion.org, electricdecember.org and bristolstories.org.
Dshed.net provides a platform for artists, communities and producers to explore various forms of new media experimentation an collaboration.[18][19] DShed.net hosts online videos of some of the talks at Watershed, project resources and short original digital productions. ElectricDecember.org is an annual online advent calendar which has run since 1999.[20]
Watershed subsidiary, iShed, was established in 2007 to produce creative collaborations, support new ideas, explore emerging technologies and develop talent. In 2016, iShed was folded into Pervasive Media Studio and renamed iShed Ventures.[21] iShed's portfolio includes commissioning schemes, events, research and consultancy produced through local, national and international partnerships with industry, artists and universities. Its main activities are the Sandbox funding schemes Media Sandbox[22] and Theatre Sandbox.[23] iShed also runs The Pervasive Media Studio, a partnership between Watershed, HP Labs and UWE set up to support interdisciplinary research and development. The Pervasive Media Studio was previously located in the Leadworks building in Anchor Square Bristol until 2011, when it moved to the Watershed building.
ReferencesEdit
^Zimmermann, Karl (26 March 1989). "A Bristol Visit Anchored in the Past". The New York Times. Retrieved 20 April 2011.
^ abc"21 Films For Birthday of the Watershed". Bristol Evening Post. 29 May 2003.
^The Pervasive Media Studio Film by FutureStory, Centre for Cities
^"UWE bid to develop media hub". Times Higher Education. 10 August 2001. Retrieved 31 December 2008.
^ abc"Celebrating a watershed in creativity". Bristol Evening Post. 15 September 2007.
^Leicester, Graham; Bill Sharpe (2010). . International Futures Forum. p. 32. Archived from the original on 30 March 2012. Retrieved 13 December 2016.
^"Canon's Marsh Goods Shed". historicengland.org.uk. English Heritage. Retrieved 7 May 2011.
^Stratton, Michael (2000). "Regeneration Through Heritage Database". Industrial buildings: conservation and regeneration. Taylor & Francis. pp. No page number. ISBN978-0-419-23630-6.
^ ab"City Arts Centre in £2 mil facelift". Bristol Evening Post. 12 March 2004.
^"Pete's seat in cinema". Bristol Evening Post. 18 March 2004.
^"Cube Launch Film Festival". Bristol Evening Post. 2 October 2003.
^"Watershed Media Centre at Culture24". Retrieved 16 December 2009.
^"BFI Film Academy Bristol". Watershed. Retrieved 13 September 2016.
^"The counter: Five of the best indie cinemas". Independent on Sunday. 21 May 2000.
^Pulver, Andrew (1 March 2002). "Why the indies matter". The Guardian.
^Fleming, Tom (2003). "Introducing the Creative Grid: Connecting Creative Places for Global Competitiveness" (MS Word). DCMS Creative Economy Programme: Infrastructure Working Group. Retrieved 31 December 2008. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
^Kelly, Jane; Price, Mary (24 February 2003). "UWE Appoints First Watershed Fellow". Press Office. University of the west of England. Retrieved 5 October 2010.
^. Watershed Media Centre. Archived from the original on 19 July 2008. Retrieved 31 December 2008.
^. AWatershed. Archived from the original on 1 December 2008. Retrieved 13 December 2016.
^"Watershed: Cultural cinema and digital creativity centre in Bristol UK". Watershed.co.uk. Retrieved 10 January 2021.
^Media Sandbox new digital commissions, Arts Council England website, October 2010
^Click for curtain-up: technology and theatre, The Guardian, 9 November 2010
External linksEdit
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Watershed, Bristol.
Watershed web site
Pervasive Media Studio web site
Rife Magazine A platform for the opinions of Bristol's young people
October 20, 2023
watershed, bristol, watershed, opened, june, 1982, united, kingdom, first, dedicated, media, centre, based, former, warehouses, harbourside, bristol, hosts, three, cinemas, café, events, conferencing, spaces, pervasive, media, studio, office, spaces, administr. Watershed opened in June 1982 as the United Kingdom s first dedicated media centre 1 2 Based in former warehouses on the harbourside at Bristol it hosts three cinemas a cafe bar events conferencing spaces the Pervasive Media Studio 3 and office spaces for administrative and creative staff It occupies the former E and W sheds on Canon s Road at Saint Augustine s Reach and underwent a major refurbishment in 2005 The building also hosts UWE eMedia Business Enterprises 4 Most of Watershed s facilities are situated on the second floor of two of the transit sheds The conference spaces and cinemas are used by many public and private sector organisations and charities Watershed employs the equivalent of over seventy full time staff and has an annual turnover of approximately 3 8 million As well as its own commercial income through Watershed Trading Watershed Arts Trust is funded by national and regional arts funders 5 WatershedWatershedLocation of Watershed in BristolEstablished1982 1982 Location1 Canons Road Harbourside BristolCoordinates51 27 05 N 2 35 53 W 51 4515 N 2 5980 W 51 4515 2 5980TypeCinema Culture amp Technology Cafe amp Bar ConferencingDirectorClare ReddingtonPublic transit accessBus ferryWebsitewww wbr watershed wbr co wbr ukA 2010 report for the International Futures Forum describes the Watershed as a creative ecosystem operating in many different and overlapping economies which is pushing the creative boundary by fostering both the invention and consolidation of new work 6 Contents 1 History 2 Film 3 Digital media 4 References 5 External linksHistory EditThe centre opened in 1982 in an area of the city which was then mainly derelict 5 The transit sheds dating from 1894 had fallen into disrepair but had Grade II listed building status 7 8 By 2004 it was attracting more than half a million visitors per year 2 A major refurbishment in 2004 5 cost 2 million creating a third cinema extending the cafe bar and making the building more accessible 9 Patrons could sponsor seats in the new cinema and the first to take advantage of this was the film and television actor Pete Postlethwaite 9 10 Film EditIn addition to its world arts film programme Watershed has played host to and helped organise and run many film festivals including RESFest 2002 11 Depict Brief Encounters now Encounters Short Film and Animation Festival the Lesbian and Gay Film Festival Black Pyramid Latin America Week VisionSign celebrating deaf moving image culture 12 and Slapstick Film Festival Wildscreen a festival of wildlife documentaries and related films began at the Watershed 2 as did Afrika Eye an annual festival of African Cinema in 2005 Regular activities include evening classes special film events a film discussion group Cinephiles and educational screenings with introductions and documentation 13 British Film Institute touring programmes are regularly screened The Keeping it Reel Series aimed at 12 to 15 year olds has since 1997 offered young people the chance to discover what happens behind the scenes in the film industry It was launched in 1997 by Paul McGann and featured lectures amp seminars by local actor Christopher Morris Shawn Sobers of HTV filmmaker Fergus Colville Casualty make up artist Chrissie Powell and EastEnders executive producer Matthew Robinson The BFI Film Academy Bristol is aimed at 16 19 year olds 14 In 2000 The Independent on Sunday s list of five of the best indie cinemas put the Watershed at the top citing its wide ranging international programme 15 A 2002 poll for The Guardian rated the Watershed as Britain s fifth most popular independent cinema 16 Digital media Edit nbsp The watershed building and harbourWatershed is more than just an arts cinema It is at once a cultural centre a business broker a social networker a research and innovation facility a cafe bar and a cultural tourist attraction 17 For the first twenty years of its existence the Watershed concentrated on film and photography In the 21st century it has increasingly taken up online media and multimedia to the point that it has more visitors online than in person 5 In the digital domain Watershed s dShed net website displays digital art from international artists alongside work by local community groups It hosts the annual online short film festival Depict org selecting micro films no more than ninety seconds long from around the world giving a cash prize to the winner In 2006 eShed net began development as a showcase for digital art made by young people in and around Bristol Staff at Watershed were also involved with creating and running electricpavilion org electricdecember org and bristolstories org Dshed net provides a platform for artists communities and producers to explore various forms of new media experimentation an collaboration 18 19 DShed net hosts online videos of some of the talks at Watershed project resources and short original digital productions ElectricDecember org is an annual online advent calendar which has run since 1999 20 Watershed subsidiary iShed was established in 2007 to produce creative collaborations support new ideas explore emerging technologies and develop talent In 2016 iShed was folded into Pervasive Media Studio and renamed iShed Ventures 21 iShed s portfolio includes commissioning schemes events research and consultancy produced through local national and international partnerships with industry artists and universities Its main activities are the Sandbox funding schemes Media Sandbox 22 and Theatre Sandbox 23 iShed also runs The Pervasive Media Studio a partnership between Watershed HP Labs and UWE set up to support interdisciplinary research and development The Pervasive Media Studio was previously located in the Leadworks building in Anchor Square Bristol until 2011 when it moved to the Watershed building References Edit Zimmermann Karl 26 March 1989 A Bristol Visit Anchored in the Past The New York Times Retrieved 20 April 2011 a b c 21 Films For Birthday of the Watershed Bristol Evening Post 29 May 2003 The Pervasive Media Studio Film by FutureStory Centre for Cities UWE bid to develop media hub Times Higher Education 10 August 2001 Retrieved 31 December 2008 a b c Celebrating a watershed in creativity Bristol Evening Post 15 September 2007 Leicester Graham Bill Sharpe 2010 Producing the Future Understanding Watershed s Role in Ecosystems of Cultural Innovation International Futures Forum p 32 Archived from the original on 30 March 2012 Retrieved 13 December 2016 Canon s Marsh Goods Shed historicengland org uk English Heritage Retrieved 7 May 2011 Stratton Michael 2000 Regeneration Through Heritage Database Industrial buildings conservation and regeneration Taylor amp Francis pp No page number ISBN 978 0 419 23630 6 a b City Arts Centre in 2 mil facelift Bristol Evening Post 12 March 2004 Pete s seat in cinema Bristol Evening Post 18 March 2004 RESFEST 2002 Creative Review Vol 14 8 October 2002 ISSN 0262 1037 Cube Launch Film Festival Bristol Evening Post 2 October 2003 Watershed Media Centre at Culture24 Retrieved 16 December 2009 BFI Film Academy Bristol Watershed Retrieved 13 September 2016 The counter Five of the best indie cinemas Independent on Sunday 21 May 2000 Pulver Andrew 1 March 2002 Why the indies matter The Guardian Fleming Tom 2003 Introducing the Creative Grid Connecting Creative Places for Global Competitiveness MS Word DCMS Creative Economy Programme Infrastructure Working Group Retrieved 31 December 2008 a href Template Cite journal html title Template Cite journal cite journal a Cite journal requires journal help Kelly Jane Price Mary 24 February 2003 UWE Appoints First Watershed Fellow Press Office University of the west of England Retrieved 5 October 2010 dShed Watershed Media Centre Archived from the original on 19 July 2008 Retrieved 31 December 2008 Electric December 08 AWatershed Archived from the original on 1 December 2008 Retrieved 13 December 2016 Watershed Cultural cinema and digital creativity centre in Bristol UK Watershed co uk Retrieved 10 January 2021 Media Sandbox new digital commissions Arts Council England website October 2010 Click for curtain up technology and theatre The Guardian 9 November 2010External links Edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Watershed Bristol Watershed web site Pervasive Media Studio web site Rife Magazine A platform for the opinions of Bristol s young people Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Watershed Bristol amp oldid 1164547431, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
