About us
Ideas that changed the world.
Our vision
Bristol Dockyards started as an idea to meet global change head on. And all these centuries, inventions, stories, and radical thinking later, ideas are still at the core of it all.
Today, the Dockyards are a thriving destination at the heart of the city’s harbourside. Run by the SS Great Britain Trust, we bring the spirit of Bristol and Brunel to life through cultural programming, charitable work, and an experience that celebrates maritime innovation and global connection for all it’s worth.
- To keep the SS Great Britain shipshape for the next generation.
- To connect with the greatest breadth of people possible.
- To create meaningful connections through authentic stories.
- To inspire everyone with greater knowledge and learning.
A home of ground-breaking innovation, we don't do anything by half
Conservation
The best way to honour innovation is to keep building on it. The SS Great Britain, docks and museums that make the Dockyards extraordinary need urgent investment to do just that for the next century. Our vision turns an overwhelming challenge into an opportunity, transforming advanced, energy-efficient and sustainable methods into something you can see, join in with and learn from.
Education
What classroom can rival a Dockyard with over 200 years of history? We’ve transformed the site into a place of exploration, where learners of all ages can get hands-on with culture, engineering, and innovation like never before. Activating our archive, promoting STEAM learning and partnering with educators, universities and organisations to make our knowledge more accessible than ever.
Community
Since 2021, the SS Great Britain Trust has offered those in Bristol who are underrepresented in the heritage sector, the opportunity to use the Brunel Institute’s archive to generate creative work. A programme that encourages honest, impartial experimentation and inspires people to publish, write, draw and create new interpretations of our heritage story.
Research and Collections
Our archives span centuries of engineering innovation, global migration, social history, and maritime labour, and are easily one of the most significant maritime heritage collections in the UK. But they’re no use to anyone if they’re left to gather dust. We actively elevate them as dynamic resources for research, skills development and creative exploration.
Connection
Great ideas deserve a great platform. It’s why, all year round, the Dockyards come alive with festivals, talks, performances and residences. Programmes, shaped by artists, makers and storytellers which transform our spaces into a place to gather, create, discuss and debate. The result? A destination that powers forward as much as the SS Great Britain in its heyday.
Our commitments
To do all of that, takes a monumental effort on all fronts.
Sustainability
We’ve pledged to reach carbon neutrality by 2030, with a focus on reducing energy use across our operations and leading the conversation in heritage conservation.
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
Revolutionising a centuries-old Dockyard to provide an inclusive, accessible space and ensuring equal opportunities for all visitors and staff.
Recognition
2023 Sustainable product of the year
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2023 Stem Ambassador
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