Bristol unicorn

We’ve had gorillas and Gromits, this year it’s unicorns. At first I thought it was painted with sea creatures, but it turns out to be women dancing, and represents ‘diversity, self-expression and joy’.  Very pretty colours I think. 
Turns out that unicorns have been the emblem of Bristol since 1569, when two were on the city’s seal.  And there’s two huge bronze ones on City Hall, and two on the bow of SS Great Britain. 
This one is outside the RWA - the Royal West of England Academy, where I met a friend to go to a couple of exhibitions.  One was about women and cities, the other was art and crafts made by refugee women showing how they feel about being in Bristol.  I’d really like to show lots of extras, but I’m going to exercise some self-control and show 2. The first extra is a collage by Rebecca Chesney which ‘presents an apocalyptic vision, where the seas have consumed the land and only a few remaining buildings rise above the surface’ . And the second one is made by 3 women in the refugee art project, showing interwoven stories. The top left shows women of different backgrounds together, leaving home and making a new home here. The top right is about a woman showing love and compassion, in the place she was born and the place where she now lives. The bottom section shows Bristol’s Grand Iftar celebration at the end of Ramadan, where people of all backgrounds are welcome. Before the pandemic more than 3000 people were welcomed and given food in St Marks Road, Easton.