Owl on the Roof

Unit 16, Fresh Farm Foods, Broadwalk Shopping Centre, Bristol

Owl on the Roof is a Bristol-based theatre collective formed in 2020 through the Bristol Old Vic’s Made in Bristol residency. The company is made up of young artists from diverse backgrounds and disciplines, with work spanning local history, comedy, and mythic storytelling. Their first show, Bristory, was shortlisted for the AHI Lockdown Response Award.

Public Programme

Owl on the Roof use their space as a base for developing new work, hosting open rehearsals, workshops, and collaborative projects. They run a long-standing bi-monthly Open Mic night, first launched in 2022, which celebrates a mix of music, poetry, comedy, and performance. 

The company also regularly programmes scratch nights to showcase emerging work, with their next event taking place this October at Tobacco Factory Theatres. Alongside these events, Owl on the Roof continue to support artists, explore new creative forms, and build connections within the Bristol theatre community.

Gary Topp Executive Director of the Arnolfini, Bristol

Gary Topp has been the Arnolfini s Executive Director since February 2019 taking the organisation through a period significant change and progress to re-establish Arnolfini as a leading UK centre for contemporary arts in a partnership with University of the West of England. He has been chief executive of a range of cultural organisations across the UK and in Australia over a 30- year career including Yorkshire Culture, Greening Australia and Culture Central. Gary began his career as a visual arts curator and museums manager in Dorset and Teesside. He has extensive leadership experience working within the context of social and economic change and placemaking. He is Chair of Trustees at the Leach Pottery, an FRSA and holds a number of other board and advisory roles.