A photograph of a large double height exhibition space, with windows facing the street on the right of the image. The ceiling is draped with black fabric, the floor is painted black, and there are two white pillars in the centre of the space. There is a white wall at the far end and a yellow painted wall to the left. T-Shirts printed with images on have been hung on the white and yellow walls and are strung from lines running from the pillars to the windows. Five people are in the space looking at the T-Shirts.

Artist-led

Artist-led: Jamaica Street Studios and KIT FORM

An ongoing series profiling artist-led groups in the South West. This month we are celebrating Jamaica Street Studios & KIT FORM

Posted

25/11/25

Can you tell us about Jamaica Street Studios and KIT FORM, who you are and what you're about/what you do.

Hello! We're Jamaica Street Studios. We are an artist's studios based in Stokes Croft, in Bristol. We've been an official organisation for over 25 years, but there have been artist's studios in the building for much longer. Our previous landlords bought the building in the late 90s, to keep it as art studios. We bought the building from them August 2025, and it's now in community ownership.
There are around 35 artists here at any one time with a diverse range of practices; painters, photographers, filmmakers, sculptors, illustrators.

Two years ago we opened KIT FORM, our creative and community space. We aim to support emerging and mid career artists from the South West who need space to test, share, and experiment. We also hold all sorts of events; music, live art, performance, screenings, workshops... We want to hear from artists in Bristol and the South West - so please get in touch.

CREDIT

A photograph of an artist’s studio. The space is light and painted white. There are various artworks around the space, including a large bronze crocodile head on a table in the foreground of the image, which sits alongside smaller plaster moulds of frogs and abstract shapes. There are a workbench and shelves to the left of the image, and a cupboard along the back wall with plants, artworks and a circular saw on top. More plaster frog sculptures are hung on the back wall, along with images.

CREDIT

Can you tell us why you set up and why an artist-led approach, and how Jamaica Street Studios and KIT FORM are important in the context that you are working in?

JSS has a long artist-led history of over 30 years. In the 90s the building was semi-squatted by the artists, so the approach is in our bones.

In a contemporary context, why the artist-led is a good approach has changed and developed. In the face of funding cuts, underfunding, and general financial insecurity, being artist-led offers an opportunity of resilience. We don't rely on institutions or organisations to survive. There's lots about it that's difficult, but it gives us agency.

A photograph of a gallery space. The space has an exposed brick wall that has been painted white on the left, the ceiling is draped with black fabric. There people are standing in the space looking at artworks consisting of two stacks of thre monitors which are playing video works. They all have headphones on to listed on the sound. Behind this is a white wall with an artwork that consists of 15 prints of a figure on orange paper.

CREDIT

In regards to the approach of KIT FORM, it's important that we are porous - we want the artists who come here to feel ownership, authoring the space as they want and need. Bristol has brilliant creative spaces, but there isn't anything quite like KIT FORM. We want to support emerging and mid-level artists, particularly to test, try, and be together in a space with their community.

A photograph of an event happening in a gallery space. The space is double height, with tall windows on the lefthand side. It is night and dark outside. The space has white walls, and various artworks are hung on the walls, including small sculptures and a fabric hanging. A person stand at the back of the space, they are speaking into a microphone and reading from their phone screen. In the foreground of the image, 11 people are sat n chairs watching the person speaking.

CREDIT

Can you describe what sort of space you run out of / the context of Jamaica Street Studios and KIT FORM, and how you operate / are funded?

We are based in the glorious 37 - 39 Jamaica Street, which is a listed building over 4 floors. It's an old carriageworks, and has tall windows, perfect for makers and painters. We have 30 studios, a darkroom, and KIT FORM is on the ground floor, over one level - it's a really flexible space.

In the past, JSS has been a simple 'studio rent in, building rent out', with an annual fundraising auction. Now we own the building it's a bit more complicated - the maintenance is our responsibility now!

KIT FORM is also more complicated, we currently hire the space out, but we want a model which allows us to pay artists to show here - how it should be.

But being up against sky high business rates, the cost of energy and services, and a hefty mortgage is the reality of the situation.

A photograph of two people looking at photographic artworks hung on a white wall. The people have their backs to the camera. The person on the left has short cropped bleached blond hair and is wearing a blue hoodie and checked trousers. They are carrying a grey backpack. The person on the right has shoulder length dyed blond hair. They are wearing a short sleeved flowery top and brown trousers and are carrying a fabric bag. There are three black and white photographs on the wall in front of them, which is painted white. The wall next to that on the left is painted pale pink.

CREDIT

Can you tell us about what you are currently working on and if you have any projects coming up you’d like to share with our network?

KIT FORM has a brilliant and varied programme through the year. Upcoming we have the Jamaica Street Studios and Friends Christmas market on 5th, 6th and 7th December. There'll be goodies from studio artists and other makers across Bristol, along with mulled wine and food.

We are also proud to be the home of the brilliant 'Perpetually Stew', a live art night, their next event will be on 4 February. Each month they invite a different selection of performance artists to explore new or old work in an intimate space, and offer the opportunity to engage with constructive feedback and discussion on each other’s craft. It's not to be missed.

Find out more
www.jamaicastreetstudios.co.uk
www.kit-form.co.uk
@jamaicastreetstudios
@kit.form