Gloucester unveils new 10-year Cultural Strategy to power growth, inclusion and creativity
More than 600 people have contributed to the strategy development over the past year, including residents, artists, organisations and stakeholders across the city.
It establishes a clear ambition for Gloucester to become “a city alive with culture, making good things happen for people and place”, recognising the important role culture plays in improving quality of life, supporting health and wellbeing, and strengthening community cohesion.
Feedback from residents highlighted strong public support for culture:
• 97% believe everyone has the right to culture
• 75% say it positively benefits their mental health
• 85% believe it’s important for economic recovery
Responding directly to this feedback, there’s a focus on ensuring culture is accessible, inclusive and relevant to all communities – including putting children and young people at the heart of programmes and championing contributions of people from all backgrounds and lived experiences.
The Cultural Strategy is structured around five priorities that will guide activity and investment to 2036.
In brief, these are:
• Ambition – raising aspirations for culture, supporting creative careers, and attracting national recognition and investment
• Ecosystem – equipping Gloucester with the infrastructure and support for creative activity, while strengthening artforms and placing museums at the heart of heritage storytelling
• Communities – enabling more people to take part in and shape inclusive cultural activity that represents residents
• Health – embedding creative activity in improving health and prevention, ensure safe and inclusive cultural spaces, and deliver events sustainably in line with net zero goals
• Place-making – championing Gloucester as a city that celebrates its heritage and diverse culture, enhancing quality of life and driving measurable economic growth
Throughout each of these five priorities, the aim is to ensure the cultural offer is inclusive, diverse, equitable and accessible, puts children and young people at the centre of cultural opportunities, celebrates and creatively explores Gloucester’s rich heritage, and addresses inequalities across different art forms to better support local artists.
Key projects identified in the strategy include the development of the Greyfriars Cultural Centre and Performance Space, the consideration of a bid for the City of Culture, the establishment of a disabled artist network for Gloucester in partnership with TwoCan Theatre Company and supporting the development of the University of Gloucestershire as a major stakeholder in the city’s cultural sector.
A bold vision for The Museum of Gloucester’s future is also being developed, to strengthen it as a place that connects people to their heritage while making space for its art collection.
Successes from the last Cultural Strategy include the creation of Gloucester Culture Trust, increased collaboration and partnership working and a more exciting and diverse cultural offer across the city. Since 2021, Arts Council England has invested a huge £13.4m in the city’s artists, cultural organisations, libraries and museums - £3.8m was invested over 2025/26 alone.
Councillor Caroline Courtney, Cabinet Member for Culture and Leisure at Gloucester City Council, said: “Culture plays a vital role in shaping our city and improving people’s lives. This strategy sets out a clear and ambitious direction for Gloucester, building on our strengths and ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to take part in and benefit from culture.”
Phil Hindson, Chief Executive of Gloucester Culture Trust, said: “Following extensive consultation with Gloucester’s cultural sector, stakeholders and, most importantly, local communities, we’re proud to launch this new Cultural Strategy for Gloucester. The strategy reflects the city’s shared ambitions and provides a strong foundation for working together to shape an exciting cultural future for Gloucester.”
Phil Gibby, Area Director for the South West at Arts Council England, said: “I'm delighted to see the cultural offer in Gloucester, an Arts Council England Priority Place, go from strength to strength. Since 2021 we’ve invested over £13.4 million in organisations delivering vital work for audiences and artists in the city. This 10-year strategy reflects our commitment to excellence and inclusion whilst supporting our ambitions to ensure that everybody across England has the opportunity to engage with creativity and culture.”
The city council’s cultural budgets will be used to deliver services that support the cultural strategy and any additional budget required will be sought from external funding bodies. The previous cultural strategy supported the case for investment and funding from Arts Council England, the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Historic England, Paul Hamlyn Foundation and other trusts, foundations and businesses.
To ensure the strategy continues to be driven by the sector’s needs and aspirations, Gloucester City Council and Gloucester Culture Trust will meet annually to review progress and set priorities for the year ahead.
The Cultural Strategy will be presented to Cabinet on 15 July.