News 27th October 2025
Bristol Cathedral announces shortlisted artists for the Colston Window Commission
The Commission has been shaped by meaningful collaboration with artists, theologians, and members of the local community, ensuring a wide range of voices contribute to the evolving story of the Cathedral and the city it serves.
Bristol Cathedral has reached an important milestone in the Colston Window Commission.
In July 2025, a call was made to visual artists to propose a new artwork for the Cathedral, responding to the legacy of the transatlantic trafficking and enslavement of African people — a history to which individuals connected to the Cathedral were linked. The new work will serve as both an act of truth-telling and a tribute to the resilience, creativity, and contributions of people of African and African-Caribbean heritage to Bristol’s life and culture.
Following an Ideas Lab in July and a seminar in September, 20 artists submitted expressions of interest. The Commissioning Group has now shortlisted three artists to develop detailed proposals: Abbi Bayliss, Joseph Ijoyemi, and Barry Yusufu. Each brings a distinctive vision rooted in heritage, storytelling, and contemporary expression.
The shortlisted artists will each receive £2,000 to develop their proposals, which will be presented to the Commissioning Group and members of the Fabric Advisory Committee on 7 January 2026.
The proposals will then go on public display at Bristol Cathedral for consultation, inviting the community to engage with and comment on the designs before a final decision is made.
The final artwork will become a permanent part of the Cathedral, symbolising hope, inclusion, and the ongoing journey toward understanding and reconciliation.
Find out more about Bristol Cathedral’s Racial Justice Strategy
