Striking new artwork brings aerial dance to St George’s Bristol

Unveiled on Tuesday 27th October, the new commission from Bristol BID, Brazen and St George’s Bristol celebrates the city’s circus heritage

A striking new artwork, Suspended in Silks by artist Will Budgett, has been unveiled on the front of St George’s Bristol, bringing the elegance and drama of aerial performance to one of the city’s best-known cultural landmarks.

Installed on Tuesday 27 October, Suspended in Silks has been commissioned by Bristol BID in partnership with Brazen, Bristol’s festival of technology, creativity and culture, and St George’s Bristol, bringing together the city’s creative talent, cultural institutions and business community.

The large-scale installation uses sculpture, light and shadow to depict two aerial performers suspended in mid-air, appearing to cascade down the historic building’s facade. It is constructed from scrap metal sourced from Bristol fabricators. Will has carefully engineered the sculpture to hang from the historic building without damaging its structure, adapting his usual creative process to work from above rather than from the ground.

Inspired by Bristol’s thriving circus scene, the artwork features two figures based on aerialist and former ballerina Jude Whitburn. Will photographed Jude performing on aerial silks, selecting two complementary poses that mirror one another to create the impression of a duet.

“

Will Budgett, artist, said:

“Suspended in Silks is the biggest piece of work I've made to date. Having this enormous sculpture on the front of St George's is going to be the biggest moment in my career. “What I love about shadow sculpture is the contrast between the materials and the finished image. You're taking these rugged, angular pieces of scrap metal and turning them into something incredibly elegant. I hope people stop, look a little closer and enjoy working out how it all comes together.”

The commission forms part of Brazen 2026, a city-wide festival powered by TechSPARK in partnership with the BID, MyWorld and Bristol Creative Industries that brings technology, creativity and culture together through talks, showcases, community events and live experiences. Taking place across Bristol’s venues, neighbourhoods and institutions, Brazen brings together leading innovators, artists, entrepreneurs and community voices to explore new ideas and celebrate the creativity shaping the city.

The festival programme spans four core areas: Summit, Community, Showcase and Live, with contributors including representatives from Google, Riverford and Microsoft, alongside DJ and Producer Roni Size, street artist Inkie, comedian Jayde Adams, Open Bionics Ambassador Tilley Lockey, author and entrepreneur Margaret Heffernan and activist Satish Kumar.

“

Charly Patrick, Chief Operations Officer at techSPARK, said:

"Will’s incredible artwork is spectacular in its own right, but it is also a wonderful symbol of everything Brazen represents. A beautiful creative work, housed at one of the city’s world-famous cultural venues, made possible through collaboration between different partners, all of whom are united in their belief in this place and the creative, cultural and technological innovations that make it so special. It truly is a fantastic addition to the creative and cultural fabric of the city and we're proud to support it"

The new artwork at St George’s reflects this meeting of art and innovation, using carefully engineered sculpture and lighting to create an unexpected cultural experience in the heart of Bristol. The project has been supported by Bristol BID as part of its ongoing work to champion creativity in the city centre, strengthen connections between businesses and cultural organisations, and bring art into public spaces for everyone to enjoy.

“

Sabrina Shutter, Senior Project Event Manager at Bristol BID, said:

“Bristol has such an incredible creative community and one of the best parts of our work at Bristol BID is bringing people and organisations together to make exciting things happen. We first worked with Will through Bristol Light Festival, so it’s wonderful to see his work take on a whole new scale at St George’s Bristol. Working with Brazen we wanted to create something that would leave a lasting legacy beyond the festival and this feels like a really special addition to the city. Public art has the power to transform familiar places and bring a little magic to our everyday surroundings. I hope this artwork encourages people to stop, look up and discover something unexpected in a place they might walk past every day.”

“

Trish Brown, Operations Director at St George’s, said:

“We’re delighted to be the home for Will’s new artwork in Bristol. It’s an opportunity to really make a public statement about us as a space for creativity and culture to passers by. We’re incredibly grateful for the hard work that Will, the BID and the Brazen team have put into making this stunning piece happen and we look forward to welcoming visitors to our venue who are curious not only about Will’s piece, but about all of the other public art and live events in our grounds and venue.”

The new commission follows the success of Will’s The Midnight Ballet installation at Bristol Light Festival earlier this year, which saw ballet dancers appear in shadow throughout Royal Fort Gardens at the University of Bristol.

Suspended in Silks can now be seen on the front facade of St George’s Bristol, with its illuminated shadows visible after dark from Thursday 29th October 2026 between 5pm and 10pm every evening. An exhibition outlining the story of the artwork will be hosted at St George’s from Thursday 29 October to Wednesday 30 November. Entry is free.