Why are pink plaques appearing across Bristol?

Why have pink plaques suddenly appeared?

Several pink plaques have appeared overnight, celebrating locations that have seen major impacts in technology, creativity and culture.

Aardman's Creature Comforts, Nirvana's first headline UK gig and the start of trip hop are among the influential moments marked in Bristol in the early hours of Wednesday.

Brazen, the organisation that put them up, said they were inspired by Historic England's blue plaques, showing where a historic person made a significant contribution to society.

Ben Shorrock, chief executive of TechSPARK, the group behind Brazen, said: "Bristol's influence reaches far beyond the city, from globally recognised creative work to technologies that have changed people's lives."

Brazen have erected 11 pink plaques.

Those responsible said they deliberately did not ask permission, but said they can be easily removed.

One is outside The Golden Lion, where Bristol band IDLES held their first gig. Another is at Aardman's Banana Warehouse to celebrate Creature Comforts, and another in Stoke Gifford highlights the creation of the online movie database IMDb.

Other venues marked by the plaques are no longer there, including the former Bristol Bierkeller where Nirvana opened their Nevermind Tour in 1991 and the legendary nightclub the Dug Out, which was important in the development of trip hop.

The Brazen team is also organising a new five-day festival of technology, creativity and culture in Bristol from 9 to 13 November; it will feature talks, debates, technology showcases and performances.

Ben Webb, head of growth at Brazen, said: "The idea was to take inspiration from the blue plaques that you find on heritage sites, but to use pink plaques to signify key locations around Bristol that have had a global impact on technology, creativity and culture.

"They've been done somewhat under the cover of darkness in the same ilk as the innovators they celebrate, to not ask permission, just to go and do," he said.

"They've been put up to last as long as they can, but they can be removed without doing any damage to the building behind them.

"We'd be delighted if people were to keep them where they were and keep celebrating this amazing place."

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