The original 1831 RIOT! reissued and extended on the Satsymph platform as part of the ESRC-funded ‘The Psycho-Social History of Riots’ as well as Impact Acceleration funding from the University of the West of England. The additions to the original – which ran only on Queen Square – are The Sacking of Bristol Gaol and the Burning Down of the Bishop’s Palace (which stood, until then, right next to Bristol Cathedral) as well as soundscapes in Blandford Forum and Yeovil.

The app retells the story of the 1831 Reform Riots, which resulted in numerous casualties and nearly burnt the whole city down. The riots were a response to the rejection of the Great Reform Bill by the House of Lords, a measure designed to extend the vote to middle class male house holders. However, the announcement of the Tory MP and city Recorder, Sir Charles Wetherall, that Bristolians were not interested in parliamentary reform further inflamed local opinion. When Wetherall arrived in Bristol to open the Assize Courts, huge crowds gathered to oppose him and he was forced to take refuge in the Mayor’s Mansion House in Queen Square. This is the starting point for the 1831 RIOT! experience.