Doug Francis is the incomparable force of nature behind the Invisible Circus, whose sadly now departed Carny Ville events are never to be forgotten spectaculars. During Bristol Circus Festival, he is hosting Francisco’s Limelight Lounge every Friday at Creative Common.

Here are Doug’s top-five Bristol favourites:

Leigh Woods
“One of my favourite things about Bristol is its profusion of green spaces, cycle tracks and waterways, none more so than Leigh Woods sitting on the edge of the city. I love the fact that you can navigate around Bristol on green lanes without traffic. Despite it being quite a built-up place with a motorway ploughing right into its centre, in half an hour you can find yourself completely lost in nature. Leigh Woods is a safe haven from the madding crowds.”

The creative community
“There is a huge community of artists, performers, makers, and musicians here. A really diverse range of accessible art forms are available and there is a huge amount of cross pollination between them all. There is a massive can-do attitude right across the board and everybody helps each other out with all kinds of crazy ventures. It makes for a really interesting mix of arts and culture and is not limited by commercial or financial restraints.”

Carny Ville @ The Island
“The coming together of so many creative forces to celebrate in such grandiose a fashion has to be one of the most dramatic high points of my life and certainly my time in Bristol. It was such a total honour to be a part of. The concentration and collaboration of so many amazing artists, makers and technicians to create such an insane and inspiring other world is a real testament to the nature of Bristol and its people. The best party in the whole world!”

Graffiti and street art culture
“The fact that graffiti has become such a signature part of the urban landscape of Bristol really pleases me immensely. That is has become a national and international attraction is again a testament to the city and its people. Everyday we are bombarded with images and messages trying to sell us things we don’t really need. Public space and community space, our space is crowded with crass imagery appealing to our lower psyche. Seeing huge colourful images and writing we cant quite understand but that looks really amazing is much more appealing and inspiring to me.

Circus
“Circus is huge in Bristol and always has been since its birth. There is a massive diverse range of circus both old and new, and a huge amount of work is produced here and exported around the world. Bristol Circus Festival aims to celebrate this heritage and community creating a platform for shows built in Bristol to be seen here as well as attract shows from around the world. It’s happening for the next five weeks and I hope will become a regular feature in years to come. Come and celebrate.”