Forwards Festival: Bristol 'changemakers' complete programme

FORWARDS completes its debut talks programme with more forward-thinking Bristol names. Adding cutting-edge creatives, campaigners, music industry names and more to eight new panel discussions at THE INFORMATION area, in Bristol on 3 and 4 September 2022.

Looking to pave a new way and create a legacy in Bristol, FORWARDS is presenting an epic music lineup side-by-side with urgent-conversations that delve into crucial topics deep-rooted in the city; from making Bristol a sex-positive city, to tackling Bristol’s housing crisis and breaking the class-ceiling in the creative industries. 

The New INFORMATION programme announced today:

Saturday 3 September:

Creatives face Climate Change, Breaking the Music Class-ceiling and Modernising Drug Support

Bristol environmental campaigners and agency Enviral bring to FORWARDS its changemaking campaigns for leading industry clients such as Greenpeace and Surfers Against Sewage to explore why creatives are fundamental for breaking boundaries for the communication of the climate crisis today.

Also on Saturday, Izzy Cross director of the young person’s CIC, Noods Levels, and previously of NOODS Radio, will bring together a panel discussing breaking the class-ceiling in the music industry acknowledging their own experiences, featuring music, portrait and documentary photographer Khali Ackford and mic man and vocalist Dread MC. Bristol Drugs Project will also take to the stage for a panel on the modern way to treat drugs. 

The volunteer-run festival of socialist politics, arts, and culture Bristol Transformed completes the line up for Saturday, founder Isaac Kneebone-Hopkins will lead a talk on why you can’t just change yourself, you have to change the world. 

Sunday 4 September:

Housing Crisis, a Sex Positive City and “Can festivals be a force for change?”

On Sunday Caring in Bristol, the charity working with people experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness will come together with Bristol’s housing activists to ask ‘Is solving Bristol’s housing crisis even possible?’, at a critical time for rising homeless numbers in the city. Harvey Watt from Black Excellence will lead a discussion about the work of the organisation alongside Kaden Gardener, Bandyt and Dawn Limbu.

Campaigner Amélie will be joined by Euella Jackson from Rising Arts and Jess Herman, founder of the Sexual Health Circus to lead a disciussion on how to make Bristol a sex-positive city, pleasure activism in practice and sex workers rights.

Across the weekend Team Love’s BIG TEAM CIC will lead a discussion into how music festivals can be a force for change, inviting leading festival organisers to take to the stage to look at their plans for 2023 and beyond. 

Antonia Cross, Programmer of THE INFORMATION area at FORWARDS explains;

“Bristol is packed with strong voices who are all agents for change - leading the way both nationally and internationally with ideas for the future. This is why we are so proud to be launching FORWARDS with and in Bristol, kickstarting a new breed of festivals that leaves a real legacy for the city. Local names are key to this and it’s a pleasure to give them a national platform at one of our biggest festivals to date. We want people to come together to have an epic time and leave FORWARDS feeling inspired to push for change for themselves and our community. "

THE INFORMATION area is FORWARDS’ space dedicated to activism, discussion and examination. This new programme of Bristolian voices and collectives announced today join urgent conversations already announced, led by UK thinkers such as Lemn Sissay, Jack Monroe, John Barnes MBE and Shon Faye. 

Full INFORMATION 2022 Talks Programme at FORWARDS:

Saturday 3 September:

One-Man Show 'My Name is Why'
Lemn Sissay.

Modern Love, and Romance’
Shon Faye X Travis Alabanza 

Bristol Transformed: You can't just change yourself - you have to change the world

Panel led by Bristol Transformed founder Isaac Kneebone-Hopkins.

The importance of the creative industries in communicating the climate crisis 

Envirol founder Joss Ford and Envirol strategist Tara Parashar, filmmaker and community organiser Tay Aziz and company consultant  Mark Shayler

Breaking the class-ceiling in the music industry

With Director of the young person's CIC, Noods Levels Izzy Cross, musician and photographer Khali Ackford and Dread MC.

Harm reduction: A pragmatic approach to drugs in the night-time economy

Panellist to be announced

Sunday 4 September

Exceptionally Black, The Silent Minority

John Barnes MBE with Lawrence Hoo 

The State of Food

Observer food critic Jay Rayner interviews British food writer, journalist and activist known for campaigning on poverty issues, particularly hunger relief, Jack Monroe 

The Black Excellence Project - Our experiences of black excellence

Founder of Black Excellence Harvey Watt with Black Excellence Bristol Project team Kaden Gardener, Bandyt and Dawn Limbu.

Solving Bristol's Housing Crisis - is it even possible?

Chief Executive of Elim Housing Paul Smith, Early Doors’s Jessie Seal and Najah Arab.

Making a sex-positive city 

Campaigner Amélie, Rising Arts Euella Jackson  and founder of the Sexual Health Circus, Jess Herman.

Can festivals be a positive force for change? 

BIG Team CIC led panel discussion.