In May 2018, Artpace Lifespace took over the meanwhile use management of Ashton Court Mansion, with the support of Bristol City Council, and with thanks to pro-bono support from Womble Bond Dickinson. Since taking on the Mansion, Artspace has been operating Ashton Court as an Arts Venue – the Arts Mansion. In 2019 we ran a series of schools workshops, Heritage exhibition open days, and The People’s Mansion event )supported by funding from Historic England and the Heritage Lottery Fund). We were hugely encouraged by the visions for the future created by the young people in Bristol and shared their visions with Bristol City Council. In 2020, BCC announced they would look at creating a new vision for Ashton Court Mansion instead of selling it as previously planned.

We are delighted to be able to share the following news: The Prince’s charities to collaborate on community consultation in Bristol.

Two of The Prince of Wales’s core charities – The Prince’s Trust and The Prince’s Foundation – are working with Bristol City Council to support the people of Bristol achieve their vision for an inclusive, sustainable city. In June 2020, following conversations with Lord Simon Woolley and Shabir Randeree OBE, Bristol City Council, The Prince’s Trust and The Prince’s Foundation started discussions around developing a shared response to the socio-economic challenges caused by structural inequalities faced by many communities in Bristol. There’s no doubt these inequalities have been exacerbated by the impact of Covid-19 pandemic and reflected in the Black Lives Matter protests. The Prince’s Foundation and The Prince’s Trust, with funding from The Prince’s Charitable Foundation, will work with Bristol City Council and community groups, to identify practical projects in Bristol, which would bring benefit to a wide range of local communities. From this Spring, The Prince’s Foundation will lead a community consultation on the future of Ashton Court Mansion, bringing together groups with an active interest in the building as well a wider network of community organisations. The Prince’s Trust will also be launching a city centre programme of activities around Temple Meads which will focus on training, employment and entrepreneurship for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. Mayor of Bristol, Marvin Rees said, “We are excited to partner with the Prince’s charities in building Bristol as a city where no one is left behind. Together we can make Bristol a national example of more meaningful social and economic inclusion for everyone. Our shared vision will see us taking practical steps to tackle structural inequalities faced by disadvantaged communities, in particular some of our Black and Asian communities.“We also look forward to engaging with the city on how to restore Ashton Court Mansion, an important city asset, for future generations to enjoy. To make it a success, local groups will be at the heart of this project.” Her Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of the County of the City of Bristol Mrs Peaches Golding OBE said, “Following discussions over the last year and at the personal request of His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales to be involved with this exciting project, I am pleased that The Prince’s Trust, The Prince’s Foundation and Bristol City Council jointly will implement a ground-breaking project exploring how rising levels of inequalities faced by disadvantaged people in the City and beyond can be reduced.“Having worked with The Prince over several decades on topics of this nature, I am sure the expertise provided by his two charities will place the City at the forefront of seizing opportunities and positively changing people’s lives and lived experiences.” Jonathan Townsend, UK Chief Executive of The Prince’s Trust, said: “The Prince’s Trust has been operating in Bristol for more than 30 years and we look forward to realising the new opportunities this initiative will create for young people in the local area. Together with Bristol City Council and The Prince’s Foundation, we will help even more young people who face disadvantage and adversity to build their confidence and skills, supporting them to secure a job, start a business or move into education or training.” Emily Cherrington, Chief Operating Officer of The Prince’s Foundation, said: “We are really looking forward to working with members of the local communities in Bristol to consider the future of Ashton Court Mansion. The Prince’s Foundation has long believed in the importance of community consultation in the development of beautiful, walkable, mixed-use communities for people to enjoy, and we very much hope to continue this work in Bristol.” The Prince’s Trust, which champions youth opportunity, began working in Bristol over 30 years ago and has helped tens of thousands of young people, through various programmes focused on Education, Employability and Enterprise. Across the UK, The Prince’s Trust has helped over one million young people. The Prince’s Foundation, with over a decade of expertise and experience in community-led heritage regeneration projects around the UK, will bring its skills and experience to identifying potential sites in Bristol for modern-day community use. Bristol City Council, taking a One City Approach, will work with the Prince’s charities to engage with city partners and community groups to identify the opportunities which have the potential to make a positive impact on the lives of people living in Bristol’s disadvantaged communities.