About us
The Bristol Folk House is the oldest adult education centre in the city, with its origins dating back to 1887 in a docklands area of poverty and social deprivation. The Bristol Folk House as we know it today began in 1920, and for over a century, we have been welcoming Bristol’s community to learn new skills, discover new interests, and meet new people.
Since 1963, we have been delivering an adult educational programme from our unique, purpose built, mid century building on Park Street. Our diverse programme offers courses and workshops from languages to leatherwork, with 900 offerings, which serve over 9,000 people a year. The majority of our programme is suitable for absolute beginners and we believe strongly in our founding ethos of ‘learning for pleasure’.
As well as opportunities to learn, we have a carefully curated music and live events programme of gigs, talks, and festivals. Our offer covers live music, exhibitions, author talks, photography socials, and stand up comedy. Our café serves delicious food and drinks from local suppliers and provides a welcoming space to relax, meet friends, or gather before and after classes.
Serving our local community
After previously operating as a Co-operative, in 2019 we transitioned to becoming a Charitable Company. Our mission is to deliver artistic and creative education that inspires, upskills, and empowers people across our community. We aim to showcase innovative arts practice and performance, and to widen access to high quality arts and culture.
In recent years we have grown our offering, and are now focussing on expanding our reach to those who have previously been unable to access our programmes. Learning is at the heart of everything we do. We are committed to being an inviting, inclusive space where adults from all walks of life can learn, connect and be part of our community.
You can read more about how we are widening access to the arts and culture here.
Together we can do more
We believe arts and culture should be accessible for all. But we need your help to achieve this.
In addition to our course income, we rely on donations from individuals, trusts and foundations, and companies to support us in bringing art and culture to those least able to access it, improving quality of life and wellbeing. You can find out more about how you can support our work here [link to support us page].
We are subscribed to the Fundraising Regulator. Our Charity number is 1184395.
You can read our annual reports and find out more about us via the Charity Commission website.
