Spike Island
One of the sites that makes up City Campus at UWE Bristol and a internationally renowned contemporary art centre that offers free exhibitions, events and engagement activities.
Located in an 80,000 square foot former industrial warehouse near Bristol harbourside, Spike Island is an internationally renowned contemporary art centre with whom UWE Bristol has a substantial partnership. Here you’ll join a vibrant community of hundreds of artists and creative businesses with international, national and regional reputations for nurturing and promoting talent.
Home to a major gallery, this art centre offers a diverse and dynamic artistic programme, including free exhibitions, events and engagement activities. Our Fine Art studios provide a venue for students to exhibit, perform and screen new artwork during Spike Island’s annual Open Studios weekend and our Degree Shows.
Creative Industries Degree Show 2022
Watch our students from a range of creative disciplines across our City Campus, as they produce and exhibit their works at UWE Bristol's Creative Industries Degree Show.
Partnerships
Our partnership focuses on providing excellent professional development opportunities for creative industries in the South West, including our art and curating students and graduates. Spike Island’s team, as well as numerous practising artists based in the artists’ studios, contribute to teaching and mentoring on UWE Bristol’s Fine Art and Curating courses.
UWE Bristol and Spike Island are two of nine organisations in the consortium the West of England Visual Arts Alliance (WEVAA), boosting opportunities across our region. Spike Island directly supports artists through commissioning new artwork, hosting over 70 subsidised artists’ studios, and running a sector-leading artist development programme, Spike Island Associates.
Supported by UWE Bristol, Spike Island Associates includes members such as students, graduates holding funded bursaries, and many alumni. Many postgraduate art and design students are entitled to free membership of this programme, providing a valuable network that supports emerging creative practitioners.
Each year, Spike Island’s Fellowships programme awards three UWE Bristol fine art graduates a funded studio, career mentoring and other professional opportunities.
City Campus locations
Where to find Bower Ashton Campus, Arnolfini, Spike Island and Watershed.
1. Bower Ashton Campus
Kennel Lodge Road Bristol BS3 2JT.
2. Arnolfini
16 Narrow Quay Bristol BS1 4QA. Located in the centre of Bristol on Narrow Quay, between the harbourside and Prince Street.
3. Spike Island
133 Cumberland Road Bristol BS1 6UX.
4. Watershed
1 Canon’s Road Harbourside Bristol BS1 5TX.
Spike Island images
You may also be interested in
Bower Ashton
Bower Ashton is the hub of City Campus at UWE Bristol for all students studying creative disciplines.
Arnolfini
Arnolfini is one of the sites that makes up City Campus at UWE Bristol and one of Europe's leading centre for the contemporary arts, presenting innovative, experimental work in the visual arts.
Watershed
Watershed is part of the City Campus at UWE Bristol. It is home to the Pervasive Media Studio and UWE Bristol’s Digital Cultures Research Centre.
City Campus
City Campus is UWE Bristol's creative and cultural industries campus made up of city centre sites at Bower Ashton, Spike Island, Arnolfini and Watershed.