Watershed Tours and Activities

Enrich your appreciation of the arts via film and digital media activities at Watershed. Watch films by established and emerging screenwriters, attend film festivals and visit an artist’s studio. Watershed opened in 1982 in a former transit shed in a then rundown area of Bristol’s Floating Harbour. It is now one of several attractions located in the gentrified Bristol Harbourside district.

There are three state-of-the-art cinema screens at this cultural center and transmissions take place almost every day of the week. Choose between documentaries, independent movies and blockbusters by famous directors such as Wes Anderson. The Cinébabies program is a weekly screening for parents accompanied by children aged 12 months or younger. You can rent out an entire screen for a memorable children’s birthday party.

The center is a host venue for several film competitions. One example is DepicT!, which challenges moviemakers to condense their ideas into a 90-second short film. Another is Encounters, during which competing animators and filmmakers are eligible for an Academy Award at the Oscars. Visit in October for the Family Arts Festival, when parents and children are invited to take part in animation, comic making and storytelling workshops.

Within the center is the Pervasive Media Studio, which is a collective of 100-plus academics, artists and technologists. Watch people at work in the studios and attend talks by artists, choreographers and directors. Grab breakfast lunch or dinner at Watershed’s on-site café. Much of the food is sourced from businesses located in South West England.

It’s easy to reach the attraction by foot from Bristol’s city center and Bristol Temple Meads train terminal. Public buses and passenger ferries also stop nearby. Bristol Aquarium, Bristol Cathedral and Queen Square are among numerous other attractions situated in and around Bristol Harbourside.

Watershed is open daily. Purchase cinema tickets at the box office or online via the center’s official website. Discounts are applicable to visitors aged 24 and under.