Bristol Took Centre Stage as The Monthly Cut 007 Goes on Tour

Last week, Little Black Book kicked off its UK tour with a packed-out edition of The Monthly Cut at the iconic Aardman Animations studios in Bristol. The event marked the series’ first stop outside the M25 – and Bristol’s creative community showed up in full force. Over 60 attendees from brands, agencies, production, design, animation and beyond gathered for an evening of inspiration, conversation, pizza and beer.

“Since we launched The Monthly Cut earlier this year, we've been blown away by the response to the series,” said Paul Monan, head of creative excellence at Little Black Book. “We've quickly built a large, loyal community in London and have hosted events in New York, Sydney and Dublin, but it was about time that we took it to a creative hub outside of the M25. A huge thank you to our event partners at Aardman, for the space, and McCann, for the hospitality, as well as everyone who came along to make it such a special night. We can't wait to do more of these around the UK and the world."

Guests were treated to a screening of The Monthly Cut 007, which featured October’s curated reel of standout creative work from around the world. The screening set the tone for a lively panel discussion featuring LBB’s EMEA Editor Olivia Atkins, Aardman animation director Will Studd, and McCann Bristol’s ECD Zane Radcliffe.

The trio dug into the craft, talent and ideas behind this month’s selections, while also celebrating Bristol’s previous entries into earlier Monthly Cut editions — including Aardman’s animated work for Coinbase animation and McCann Bristol’s print campaign for Brittany Ferries.

Discussion turned to the big questions shaping creativity today: such as the role of craft in today’s AI-saturated landscape, how regional creative hubs like Bristol are reshaping the industry, and the changing expectations around Christmas advertising. Will and Zane also shared their experiences of judging this month’s reel, as they are now both part of The Monthly Cut’s creative council.

“It’s a real privilege to judge the Monthly Cut,” said Zane. “I’m a creative. And creatives love nothing more than judging the creative endeavours of others. I’ve enjoyed seeing work from all over the globe. Work that I might not otherwise have been exposed to. It’s also been incredible to welcome LBB – and Monthly Cut – to Bristol, which is a hotbed of creativity, from Brunel to Banksy to the brilliance of Aardman and the bold work that’s getting us recognition at McCann - and winning us pitches against the very best in London. There is life beyond the M25!”

What became clear throughout the night was how much Bristol’s creative scene is thriving and helping to redefine what creative excellence looks like outside London.

“Being part of The Monthly Cut (and bringing the screening to Bristol!) was a pleasure and it was genuinely inspiring to check out all the submissions,” said Will. “The range and craft was awesome, it was great to see how they sparked the conversation.

“Events like this remind me how much energy and craft goes into the best creative work, and how important it is to have spaces where we can get together and talk about it. Huge thanks to the team for creating such a warm, fun event and for inviting me into it.”

The Monthly Cut’s Bristol stop was hosted in partnership with Aardman and supported by McCann Bristol, whose teams helped to transform the night into an evening of community and connection.

All photos credited to Will Skane-Davis.