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City venue swaps 'rowdy' rave for calm meditation

Clara Bullock
BBC News, Bristol
Prospect Daniel Avery is sitting on a stage while using DJ equipment. He is wearing a jumper and has shoulder length, blonde hair.Prospect
Electronic music producer and DJ Daniel Avery was among the performers

A rave venue has been turned into a meditation space for a night, with electronic music artists playing soothing sounds rather than dance beats.

The Prospect Building in Bristol hosted the event where people could sit down and relax to calming music.

Bianca Mayhew, founder of Mastery, which organised the event, said: "I enjoy trying to put sound meditation into what would usually be a rowdy rave space."

Luke Annesley, senior lecturer in music therapy at the University of the West of England (UWE), in Bristol, said: "Music is intrinsically linked to our mental health, in all sorts of ways, often very positively."

Bianca Mayhew is standing outside the venue under a lit up canopy. She is weating a green jumper and has her hair tied back.
Bianca Mayhew said she hoped people left the event feeling "lighter"

Ms Mayhew said that she hoped people "left feeling a little lighter".

"Ravers already understand the power of sound, they all felt it on the dance floor," she added.

Mr Annesley said: "Music therapists think a lot about human connection, whether between a therapist and client, in groups, or through much bigger, collective experiences.

"The potential to explore inner spaces through music can help us to understand who we are in relation to the rest of humanity."

Inside the Prospect Building during the event. The space is dark and lit up by red lights. People are sitting down and silhouetted against the red light.
The Prospect Building is usually a rave venue

Daniel Avery, electronic music producer and DJ, headlined the event and said he Bristol was "an obvious city" to hold the event in.

"Bristol is a music-loving city and it's a pretty open-minded city which has experienced so many different forms of electronic music over the years," Mr Avery said.

"It's a very transformative experience. It's something that everyone involved in the room plays a part in."

Tilly is standing outside the venue. She is wearing a dark jacket and has long, brown hair. She is smiling.
Tilly said she has done sound baths in the past

Tilly attended the event and said: "I've done some sound healing but I've never really been to a gig that incorporates it into that so I'm looking forward to experiencing that for the first time in combination."

Alfie Hay also went to the event and said: "It's not really the rhythm you're listening to, you're trying to connect to the vibrations more."

Prospect A musician is standing on stage by a microphone. He is playing a hand-held drum.Prospect
The event started with a soundbath where musicians played soothing sounds

Cherub Sanson, a sound artist, said her intention was to "harness the energy of both the rave days and the power of healing sound".

"The idea is to blend those two worlds together and create something new and exciting," Ms Sanson added.

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