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What does 'home' mean to you?

Join us for a year of making, experiencing and sharing ideas of home.

Our programme of films, immersive art, talks and workshops will explore the many different ways in which people find, make, imagine, long for and escape home.

Find out more about our events on the Programme tab - keep checking back regularly as we'll be publishing more throughout the year. You can read more about the first events in this article.

Immersive art

As part of our Home theme, we’re excited to announce a new call for Immersive Artwork from Undershed – Watershed’s gallery for showcasing interactive and immersive work from around the world.

This autumn/winter, we’ll host an exhibition exploring the question: What does home mean to you? We’re looking for finished immersive or interactive artworks that respond to this theme for inclusion in a group exhibition. If selected, we’ll offer an artist licence fee, paid planning and install time, and technical support. Want to know more before submitting? Join our online Q&A with curator Amy Rose on Tue 8 July at 13:00.

Cinema

What does home look like through the lens of a smartphone? Arriving Fri 22 Aug, Motherboard is a deeply personal documentary from BAFTA-winning director Victoria Mapplebeck, filmed over 20 years on five generations of phones. It charts her journey raising her son Jim solo – from pregnancy scans to college drop-offs – alongside her own battles with illness, work, and identity. Funny, raw, and intimate, it’s a remarkable portrait of family life in motion.

Catch a special Q&A screening on Wed 20 Aug at 18:00, where Mapplebeck and her son Jim will join us in person to talk about their unique collaboration – hosted by Bristol Doc Club.

Pervasive Media Studio

Over In the Studio, on Fri 11 July, artist and technologist Amelia Winger-Bearskin joins us for another Home themed Lunchtime Talk: Good for What? Where does AI fit in. She’ll be sharing how she’s using AI and immersive storytelling to design Indigenous-led systems of care, connection and climate justice.

And for young makers (18–30, working class backgrounds), applications are now open for Make Shift Creative Camp 2025. This five-day hands-on camp in August is centred around the theme ‘Home Improvements’, inviting participants to dream up the next big thing in home automation.

Looking forward to October in the Studio, we’re also running two free poetry workshops (one online, one in person) with Pin the Tale – a poetic mapping platform that invites Bristolians to explore personal landmarks through words. Led by poet Bridget Hart and creator Jack Lowe, the sessions will turn the city into a literary treasure hunt.