Tucked beneath the motorway near IKEA, the M32 Flea Market is an eclectic, creative and colourful event held every last Saturday of the month.
Founded in 2016 by LitterARTI, a local arts organisation working with communities facing social and environmental neglect, the market hosts a vast range of stalls ranging from food to good quality vintage and pre-loved clothing, records, jewellery, art, prints, pottery, books, plants, tinctures, essential oils, bric-a-brac and gifts.
We had the opportunity to talk with eight stallholders about what the M32 Flea Market means to them and the extent the cost of living crisis has impacted their small business.
Here’s what we found:
1. Dylan, Lily and Ryan
Dylan, Lily and Ryan, three students who were running a pre-worn clothes stall, said: “The M32 market means a lot actually. When I first came to Bristol, this was one of the first clothing markets I ever went to. And it was also one of the only flea markets I’ve been to that was really affordable. Especially for people who were just coming here to sell some extra items. You don't realise how great it is until you actually put a stall on because then you meet everyone. And everyone's so lovely and they’re all from the area. As students, it's very, very beneficial for us to make some money on the side. Even if it's a little bit, it goes a long way.”
2. Mutilumila
Paul, a painter under the name of Mutilumila, is a regular at M32 and said: “I regularly come to the market for years, and I decided to bring some paintings and some stuff that I had around the house. And it was really nice to get people talking about stuff, have conversations with people, meet new people, and look at people’s fun garments in the street. I think this is my seventh market and I really enjoy it. I’m very fortunate to not rely on my paintings to pay my rent, and I would definitely not be able to pay my rent to live on this. A lot of the art scene, the working class art scene, has disappeared from the city and lots of posh Londoners have come. And if you compare what the M32 market used to be three years ago to what it is today, it's very different in the sense that it’s much less ‘crusty’, it's much more colourful and it's evolved as the population in Bristol has changed. But I think flea markets and any kind of market is like a conflict between classes of people who come to buy and they’ve got the money and people who don't have the money who have to sell their stuff for them. So it’s a very interesting space to look at those things and those contrasts in society.”
3. Neil from TAPT
Neil from TAPT, an independent clothing brand in Bristol, said: “It’s just a good market to come to because it’s a regular thing every month and people get to know you, you get regular customers. And it’s just getting my brand out there and handing out cards and selling as much as I can. January/ February is always a bit slow but the lead-up to Christmas is good and the spring and autumn are probably some of the best times. I need to make more money to pay for my bills because my rent’s gone up but it has affected everyone else, meaning that they’re not buying as much either because they don’t have as much money. So it’s a double whammy for artists in Bristol. People love the stuff, but they just can’t afford it. So it’s not been great. But I’m just trying to work a lot harder to sell more stuff as much as I can, really.”
4. Drecklyy
Geo, a crochet and jewellery artist trading under the name Drecklyy, was running a stall at the M32 for the first time this month. Geo said: “I was really worried that nothing would sell, but then I came here and people bought my stuff and love it. It’s really nice to be around people also in my community that appreciate my stuff. Buying materials is hard what with the cost of living and prices going up. Sometimes I have to choose between paying my bills on time or buying stuff to craft with. But it’s worth it, coming out and selling stuff. Even if you don’t sell stuff and you make stuff, it still feels worth it.”