WHAT...
12 DAYS OF XMAS was a group show featuring more than 70 of the world’s most loved & loathed contemporary urban artists, showcasing original work, prints, photography and installations. It was in possibly the most interesting venue to come up in years, The Old Bridewell Police Station in Bristol.

WHEN...
Friday 7th - Saturday 22nd December 2007
(Though was closed on Mondays and Tuesdays - if you do the maths this gives the 12 days!)

WHERE...
The show took place inside the Old Bridewell Police Station in Bristol, UK. This was a very special venue, being Bristol's main police station for years and the very place many of the local artists spent most of their formative careers avoiding. The station had been closed for about a year and we managed to get permission to use it throughout December. We opted to use its main areas, and they very much became part of the show - The huge wooden main entrance doors, Reception, The first floor corridor and offices off it, The charge desk, The interview rooms and The cells.

WHY...
The show was very much just a group of artists showing their work away from the art establishment clichés - i.e. away from sterile white walled galleries, away from tiny shows in bars and cafes, no 50% so the gallerist ends up with more for his time than the actual artists, no over priced prints that sell out so quick no one seems able to buy them and away from champagne fuelled opening nights that only those in the 'know' get invited to.

The artists were just asked to participate, no one picked & chose what they could show, the artists chose their work and their prices. And the venue wasn't 'dressed up', we simply stuck pictures up where they fitted with little thought as to who should go next to who, or what to put in the best 'selling places'.

The show had a very loose xmas theme (well we managed to get a tree and some mince pies for the opening night) but more importantly it was an amazing opportunity for a big group of like-minded artists to get together and show their work outside London.

WHO...
The show was produced by STEAL FROM WORK, aided and abetted by ART-EL (a Bristol based online gallery) and BEFORE CHROME.

Loads & loads of help with the venue was given by the ART SPACE LIFE SPACE.

The venue was kindly 'lent' to us by its developers, URBAN SPLASH.

And we'd have been lost without the brilliant help from RUTH ESSEX at the Bristol City Council.

THANKS...
Many, many thanks for lots of hard work, ideas, assistance & help keeping us all sane:

Doug, Nick, Eamon and all @ Art Space Life Space, Ruth, James, Katie and all @ Urban Splash, Sarah for her amazing photos and help , Ursula, Tessa, Dom Graffle, Jane Porter, Plan9, Alison, Chiz, Tommy Norris, Le & Ryan @ Tunnadine Fine Arts, Teresa @ Polar Produce, Chris @ PRSC, Justin @ Let Them Hang, Paul @ Screen One, Silky @ The Banksy Forum, Tom 'film', S-Editions, The Aquarium Gallery. And of course all the artists.