The grand room of Bristol Museum is filled with conference tables, people looking towards Claire Hodgson, (stood in the bottom right corner), delivering an opening speech at State of the Nation 2.

Doing Things Differently


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A celebration of equality in the arts.

Doing Things Differently is an event that reaches right across a town, city or region to reveal and celebrate diversity. The event shares ideas that move us towards equal representation on stage, off stage and in the audience, through a series of performances, exhibitions, workshops and talks.
Doing Things Differently is a partnership between Diverse City and Bristol City Council.

To set up Doing Things Differently in your town or city, please email: hello@doingthingsdifferently.org.uk and visit the website.

Previous events:

  • 2018

    In April, Doing Things Differently – State of the Nation 2  followed up the 2016 event to reinvigorate conversations about equality in the arts.
    Over 100 people from 50 organisations gathered at Bristol Museum & Art Gallery to ask:
    • Are we are any closer to inclusion?
    • What have you done or are doing differently?
    • What has the impact been and what do you think needs to happen now?

  • 2017

    Doing Things Differently partnered with Bristol Festival of Puppetry on Interchange; a new space for dialogue about puppetry and diverse communities. Interchange asked whether puppetry can provide a radical new voice for difference and celebrate diversity. Can it harness the talents of practitioners with additional needs and change how it is made or presented, so that puppetry is more diversely owned?

    Keep up to date with future Puppet Place events, by signing up to their Newsletter, or connect on Facebook and Twitter.

    Bristol Festival of Puppetry 2017 event logo

  • 2016

    Presented by Diverse City and Bristol City Council Culture Team, Doing Things Differently attracted audiences of 4,000 people to performances, experiences, talks, workshops and exhibitions. The programme of events highlighted and reflected Bristol’s vibrant, diverse communities and supported creativity across the city.

    Highlights included Extraordinary Bodies performing Weighting in Bristol’s Castle Park, workshops led by artists and cultural leaders, collaborations with Extraordinary Bodies Young Artists and Bristol Old Vic’s Theatre School, award winning Visual Vernacular artists, questioning the museum and gallery norms and ‘Waving Goodbye to Victorian Dad‘, as well as a poignant exhibition by People Dancing. Doing Things Differently logo

Doing Things Differently logo
Bristol City Council Culture Team
Arts Council England Logo

  • Extraordinary Bodies performing Weighting in Bristol - 2 performers balance on a bridge overlooking the crowd in Castle Park.
  • A small group of people sit in a room with lots of scattered chairs - it looks like a break from a workshop. They are talking and smiling together.
  • A group sing in the choir during the finale of Extraordinary Bodies performance of 'Weighting'.
  • Visual Vernacular artists artists Matthew Gurney and Adam Bassett perform to an audience. Both are making hand and facial gestures, combining performance, mime and comedy.
  • Side profile photo capturing a group of people facing the front of a room in rows of seats. The room is bright and sunlit. Everyone is listening intently with paper and pens making notes.
  • The Choir singing during a performance of Weighting in Bristol.
  • Extraordinary Bodies artist David Ellington leading a Beginners Guide to BSL workshop.
  • 11 Million Reasons exhibition space, showing works of art created by People Dancing
  • Photo from birds eye view - a group of 12 people in a circle, laying on the floor on mats and blankets, sitting on chairs and sofa. They are having a discussion; some people are taking notes on paper.
  • Audience sat on grass in Castle Park Bristol, cheering, clapping and waving hands.
  • Doing Things Differently at Bristol Museum & Art Gallery. A diverse group of about 100 people are in a large circle in the grand entrance room to Bristol Museum. In the centre of the circle, a black man and black woman are leading the group through a movement exercise.
Photography Credits: ©Joe Clarke; ©Richard Brown; ©Christopher Cardwell  (Header image)