The old Marks and Spencer store in Broadmead is reopening its doors today as a ‘department store with a difference’. With the name Sparks, the old department store will no longer house just clothes, it will be a space where Bristolians can come to be educated, get advice and express their creativity.
The former M&S store closed permanently back in January 2022 and reopens its doors around 12pm today (Saturday, May 13). Education charity Global Goals Centre has teamed up with Artspace Lifespace to turn the site into a “vibrant, positive venue where local people and visitors can shop, recycle and explore what a greener, fairer and creative future could look like.”
This new arts and sustainability hub has two floors with one focusing on arts and the other focusing on sustainability, innovation and creativity. The upper floor’s rehearsal rooms will be open for people to book and there’s even the option for schools to book out the space as well.
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Jenny Foster, project lead at Global Goals Centre, said: “We’re hoping Sparks will enable people to make more sustainable choices, to recycle goods, just to make things more accessible and affordable for people.”
Not only will people be able to learn about ways they can help make a difference, they will be able to actually make a difference. There is a clothes swap that will help reduce the number of unwanted clothes going to waste each year, and for those whose clothes are in need of a little TLC, a clothing repair cafe is part of the new hub.
Feeling peckish? Maybe a little thirsty? Inside there’s a range of food and drinks visitors can enjoy, serving local produce. With pop-ups and stalls, the new hub has everything to offer - it even has a garden.
The store opens at 12pm today, so head down to the old M&S on The Horsefair to see what it’s all about.
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