About the Organisation

Britain’s first dedicated media centre, Watershed opened in 1982. It is housed in former industrial premises (Grade II listed) on Bristol’s waterfront and stands at the gateway to Harbourside – a major cultural, commercial and residential regeneration development in the heart of Bristol UK.

 

Watershed fosters cultural exchange and promotes engagement, enjoyment, diversity and participation in film, media arts and the creative economy. Watershed is a group of three companies: Watershed Arts Trust and two wholly owned subsidiaries of the Trust – Watershed Trading and iShed CIC.

Watershed Arts Trust is a company limited by guarantee and a registered charity, it seeks to be a leading international film and media arts centre connecting local and global audiences, learners, talent, cultures and ideas.

Watershed Trading Company aims to be the most welcoming and inclusive Bristol city venue for social, business and creative dialogue generating a financial contribution for Watershed development.

iShed Community Interest Company delivers cultural brokerage which connects organisations, knowledge and research through collaborations across the media, arts and technology sectors.

Watershed's programme is delivered with the support of a wide range of funders and is created through a network of collaborators. Creativity, innovation and difference are the cornerstones of the Watershed brand – extending choice, diversity and participation –  generating enjoyment and celebration,  interest and challenge. Join the email list for regular updates direct to your inbox.

Watershed is a Registered Charity: 284188

Watershed, Bristol

Watershed (www.watershed.co.uk) is a prime example of a highly connected, flexible, porous piece of cultural and creative infrastructure, of which there are too few examples. 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. This is because it has developed organically over the years to become totally embedded in place, operating as a shining light on Bristol’s culturally rich harbourside, connected as part of the wider cultural offer of this distinct milieu (which includes Arnolfini gallery, Bristol Industrial Museum, @Bristol, Bristol Cathedral, the City Library, and a real mix of retail and other consumption spaces). Watershed, as part of this milieu, has become the cultural space of choice for many of Bristol’s creative practitioners and businesses. This is because they have been able to make it their own and imprint their distinctive senses of identity and place upon the flexible and accessible spaces such as the bar with wi-fi. In turn, it has become a key broker for innovation in creative businesses, building convergence through partnership projects with HP Labs, while at the same time providing new network opportunities for cultural organisations and social enterprises. This works because Watershed constitutes place, offering connections in the immediate milieu, across the wider city, and into the city region, through a mixed profile of proactive initiatives (from training to screenings), underpinned by the distinctive ambiance of the building. This ambiance is hard to plan for and cannot be guaranteed, but a culture for openness and connectedness, an embrace with place, and a willingness to let the creatives lead, establishes Watershed and other facilities such as Broadway in Nottingham and Lighthouse in Glasgow, as pieces of cultural infrastructure that truly drive creativity and competitiveness.

Creative Economy Programme Infrastructure Working Group August 2006

The old sheds in 1981 before development

“Watershed is the South West’s leading media centre for the digital age, providing opportunities for all to experience, enjoy and learn about contemporary moving image media.” Bristol Evening Post

 

The building houses three cinemas, a Café/Bar and a suite of event/conferencing spaces. While Watershed's cinemas bring world moving image culture to local audiences, the www.dShed.net web platform projects local talent to the world. The building also hosts Futurelab, and UWE eMedia Business Enterprises.

dShed.net Watershed's web platform which projects local talent to the world.

New skills and content are being developed by working in collaboration with artists, filmmakers, media companies, community groups and schools. This work is exhibited both on-site and on-line, with Watershed acting as a facilitator and a broker of new partnerships - see dShed.net for a list of content contributors.

Watershed promotes creativity, collaboration, innovation and participation from cultural, commercial and community sectors. It is a facilitator, a hub, and a catalyst for the creative industries.

“Bristol marries new technology and creativity with its industrial heritage – Watershed Media Centre reflects the city’s reputation as a media capital.” The Guardian

 

Watershed at night (May 2006)

Watershed employs a full-time equivalent staff of over 60 and has an annual turnover approaching £3million. The organisation’s work would not be possible without the support of a wide range of funders and collaborators. In addition to the box-office income, the work of the Trust is supported by profits from Watershed’s trading company (conference and catering), which is run on a commercial basis.