Why Support Us
To help sustain Watershed's culturally dynamic and expansive work we have launched an individual giving programme
"Over the decades everything about film and media has changed and Watershed has always kept ahead of the wave, especially when it came to embracing game-changing digital technologies. It's been truly inspiring to see Watershed thrive and excite people"
David Sproxton, Executive Chairman, Aardman Animations.
Watershed is a social enterprise and a registered charity. As the leading film culture and digital media centre in the South West, we advance education, skills, appreciation and understanding of the arts with a particular focus on film, media and digital technologies.
To keep Watershed creative and dynamic we are constantly exploring initiatives and collaborations which give us the freedom to develop new opportunities so that more people from all communities can participate in the Watershed experience.
How you can help
You can help support us by donating through our individual giving programme.
Your gift will give us more creative capacity to inspire and engage people of all ages in new cultural experiences. With your help we will sustain the relevance, depth and diversity of our programmes so that audiences, artists, and the city of Bristol can continue to share and shape the Watershed experience and help us plan for the future with confidence.
Below you will find just a few Watershed stories that show some of our work to date.
Image: Rife Magazine's launch team: Adibah, Shin_LoveLife, Jon and Little Ryan. Credit: Vanessa Bellaar Spruijt
Did you know?
Beyond the Café/Bar lies the Pervasive Media Studio
The Studio is our research and development space where magic really does happen. From talking lamp posts to flying to the moon (no, really), we support and nurture the brains behind the next big thing that will get everyone talking.
We have had a huge impact on the creative lives of countless young people
We are committed to helping young people grow and flourish – it develops their creativity and skills, enables us to remain timely and relevant, and contributes vital talent to the cultural sector to ensure it continues to thrive.
We champion Independent and World Cinema
Our cinema programme showcases the new, the old, the unusual and the unexpected. Without us countless British and foreign language independent films would not reach the big screen, where they belong
Watershed started Playable City, putting people and play at the heart of the Future City
This global movement of playful city interventions uses innovative technology to connect people to each other and the places they live and work – and it began right here in Bristol, at Watershed.
We work with diverse communities of young people to give them a voice
Watershed works with groups of Bristol young people – including those who are marginalised– to make sure their diverse, distinct and powerful voices are heard, and everyone is given a chance to develop their digital skills
We received international acclaim as Europa Cinemas' Entrepreneur of the Year
We were selected from over 1,000 cinemas that belong to a network of cultural cinemas in over 500 cities worldwide, recognised for our adventurous approach to connecting with audiences.
Luke Jerram, the artist behind Park and Slide, was a resident at the Pervasive Media Studio
Long before he even dreamed of installing a 300-foot slide on Park Street Luke Jerram launched musical hot air balloons into the skies, placed pianos on the streets of cities across the globe, and even directed peoples’ sleep – all projects that were supported by Watershed.
Our Young Journalists at Rife are engaging Turner-prize winning artists on Twitter
24-year-old journalist Jon Aitken received some fascinating tweets about his article on Why Young People Aren’t Going to Art Galleries and even got a direct response from controversial artist Jake Chapman himself, who then followed Rife on Twitter.
We took Adrian Utley, Will Gregory and Carl Theodor Dreyer on tour
The specially commissioned score for the silent classic Passion of Joan of Arc is a great example of Watershed working collaboratively – the opportunity to create new work with creative people is a key part of our cultural DNA.
We helped artist Heidi Hinder share the love
Artist and jeweller Heidi Hinder joined Watershed’s Pervasive Media Studio in 2013 on an artist residency – her project Money No Object allows people to experiment with five novel forms of payment like hugs, handshakes, and high fives.
We have opened doors for Stand + Stare
The Watershed stamp of approval has helped interactive design company Stand + Stare explore new directions
We helped Silas Adekunle begin his robotics start up
The supportive ethos - and people - of the Pervasive Media Studio helped Silas develop his range of playful robots
We helped filmmaker Kae Bahar turn his passion into practicality
The director’s dreams have been turned into reality and his ideas have been transformed into achievable projects thanks to the support of Watershed