Playful Broadmead: Urban Fairy Doors
Discover a miniature world in the heart of Broadmead this summer
Anna Farthing
Interim Head of Place (Maternity Cover)
Step into a world of wonder…
Discover a miniature world hidden across the city’s shopfronts, walls, and public spaces. Playful Broadmead‘s Urban Fairy Doors are transforming the heart of Broadmead one magical door at a time.
Each tiny door offers a glimpse into a hidden fairy world, inviting families to look closer and explore their surroundings in a new way. How many fairy doors can you find?
The initiative was launched on National Play Day (5 August 2026), embracing this year’s theme, ‘Play – here, there, everywhere!’, which celebrates the importance of place in everyday spaces.
Playful Broadmead is the final phase of Bristol BID’s Love Bristol, Love Broadmead campaign.
With thanks to all our partners, fairy door makers, and host businesses for making this project possible
Follow the fairy doors
Fairy doors are waiting to be discovered on shopfronts and inside windows at more than 30 locations this summer. Can you find them all? Think like a fairy and uncover a little magic around every corner.
Meet the makers
Spanning professional model makers, students, and hobbyists, each fairy door has been specially handcrafted for Playful Broadmead’s Urban Fair Doors.
Makers were invited to produce imaginative fairy doors to promote conversation, connection, playfulness, and joy. Discover more about the talented makers behind the doors below.
Aaron Lodge
Aaron Lodge is an 18-year-old aspiring model maker who loves making and printing things. His attention to detail being one of his strongest attributes. Aaron hopes that Broadmead visitors enjoy his fairy doors inspired by film and TV. Aaron plans to go to university in September and begin studying for a degree in model making.
Back To Front Studios
Back To Front Studios is an independent craft-based animation studio and specialist fabrication workshop based in Bristol. Founders Emma Windsor and Aiden Whittam are experienced creatives who specialise in creating stop-motion characters and miniature worlds for film, advertising, and installations, working with brands and other organisations worldwide.
The Classroom
With help from Taylor Woodrow, pupils from Our Lady of the Rosary Primary School took part in two creative workshops to craft fairy doors. Taylor Woodrow provided ready-made wooden doors which the children decorated to reflect their interests and personalities, using inspiration from their favourite hobbies and things they enjoy.
Charlie Keenan for Sparks Bristol
Charlie is a self-taught creative with a teaching background. She runs the Paper Tales book and gift shop inside Sparks Bristol, curates the annual Festival of Stories Bristol and works for Global Goals Centre as their Repair Manager.
Emily Cooper for Sparks Bristol
Emily is a prop maker, seamstress, and artist who loves all things whimsical. You can visit Emily's shop Emalolabella in Sparks to discover colourful vegan taxidermy, handmade dungarees and dresses crafted from nostalgic vintage fabrics, each piece bursting with creativity, colour, and whimsy.
Felix Surplus
Hailing from the North East coast of Ireland, Felix Surplus is a model maker and filmmaker who works primarily with stop-motion and live action prop making and set dressing. Felix studied animation at the University of the West of England at Bower Ashton, and grew to love Bristol, its people and culture during his studies. He also sometimes creates work under the moniker of HarbourRat.
Hazel Lingley
Hazel Lingley is a professional model maker who has always loved making miniature things. She makes custom paper models of peoples homes, as well as creating bird and insect themed designs. In her spare time, she also makes Lino prints.
Artspace UK Team for The Island Bristol
Creativity was flowing as the Artspace Lifespace team collaborated for some imaginative team building time, designing and making fairy doors for this project. The session inspired the makers to share tales about the books, fairy stories, and folklore they enjoyed as children. Thanks to Kathryn Chiswell-Jones, Ayan Cilmi, Daianne Moreno-Mempin, Jane Hartoch, Alice Newton and Marietta Staneova.
Joe Brook NML
Joe Brook is a senior museum professional whose career began as an artist’s technician, bringing creative ideas to life through expertise in materials, technology and artistic practice. In 2016, he founded his own studio, delivering installations and environments for leading UK cultural institutions, before joining National Museums Liverpool in 2025 as Executive Director of Audiences and Media.
Kieran Bright-Allinson
Kieran Bright-Allinson is a Community Engagement Officer for Taylor Woodrow. The civil engineering company generously supported this local community project. Building on their work with a local school, they donated reclaimed pallets which were transformed into enchanting fairy doors and porches by school children. Kieran also facilitated sessions with Cathy C Pottery and produced two doors for the project himself.
Lydia Hayward
Lydia Hayward has always been creative. She got her passion for art from her mum who is an artist. From a young age, art was always her favourite subject, and she thrives best in a creative environment. Lydia completed a fashion degree at university and then went on to work in the creative field of Visual Merchandising which led her to Bristol and her current role with Harvey Nichols
Molly Frederikse
Molly is a lifelong lover of dolls houses and miniatures. She was excited to join the fairy door project and make a dentist inspired door as it meant she could experiment with the use of dental equipment and references to tooth care. Molly looks forward to seeing the doors created by other makers and hopes everyone enjoy spotting them all around Broadmead.
The Pottery Class
Cathy C Ceramics is a friendly group of potters who meet regularly to explore their creativity and share a passion for pottery. The Fairy Door project forms part of their wider mission to make art accessible, engaging and enjoyable for everyone in the community. Each door created by the group is designed to spark curiosity, encourage exploration and bring moments of delight to people of all ages.
Richard B. Lobb
Richard B. Lobb of Hope-Filled Ceremonies believes in beauty, stories, and small acts of kindness that can help communities flourish. Crafted from reclaimed and driftwood, their ‘Just Married’ fairy door celebrates new beginnings while giving old materials a new story. The team are delighted to be part of bringing creativity, joy and discovery to Broadmead.
Sam Mortimer
An avid model maker originally from Bury St Edmunds, Sam is currently based in Bristol and works as a puppet maker for Aardman Animations. Sam is a National Film and Television School graduate with a diploma in model making for animation and loves making miniatures, sets, props and puppets.
Tom Whiting
Tom Whiting is a professional model maker with over 25 years of experience turning ideas into precision-crafted models. From prototypes and product concepts to display and exhibition pieces, he combines traditional craftsmanship with modern techniques to create high-quality, detailed models that bring designs and ideas to life.
Bristol BID would like to thank all involved partners, fairy door makers, and host businesses for making this project possible.
