The Creative Scene in Gloucester

The Creative Scene in Gloucester 

Gloucester hosts a vibrant programme of cultural events and activities all year round, from roof top festivals to City poetry trails and fashion shows. With a fantastic community of arts organisations, Gloucester is a great place for young burgeoning creatives. Home to several high-profile organisations, all of which are dedicated to giving space, a voice, experience and support to those new to the Creative Scene, whist nurturing talent to aid in growth and success for all. There is an incredible amount of Creative Talent in Gloucester, and these organisations are helping Gloucester to stand out as ‘the place to be’ for Creatives of all ages and specialisms ... 

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Gloucester Culture Trust  

The Gloucester Culture Trust have one very clear mission “Putting Culture at the Heart of Gloucester for the Good of All”.  They are known for their powerful collaborative and partnership working which enables them to deliver projects with big cultural, economic and social benefits.  

In March 2019, Gloucester Culture Trust launched the Creative Leadership Trainee Programme. The aim: to nurture the future creative leaders of today.    

The programme has created four full-time, year-long jobs within four of Gloucester’s creative organisations, all of which are fully funded by the Creative Entrepreneurs strand of the City’s Great Place project... Jolt.  

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Jolt 

Jolt is about creating opportunities and providing a supportive space which enables people to work and make a living in the creatives industries, right here in Gloucester.  

Jolt Studios offers a place to work, meet, and unleash creative passions, within the City’s flagship Creative Hub. As one of the fastest growing sectors in the country, the creative industry is thriving in Gloucester, and Jolt’s mission is to make Gloucester a hot spot for art and creativity, through provision of support, and a programme of resources and opportunities for creatives, not only to develop their talent, but also to help them earn a living doing what they love best! 

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Gloucester Guildhall  

📷Photo credit Gloucester Guildhall

Gloucester Guildhall is an arts venue with an impressive programme of music, comedy, film, and theatre. As well as the 440-capacity main hall, there is a 100-seat boutique cinema, a café bar and a workshop housed within the beautiful Grade II listed building.   

With a strong emphasis on live music and film, Guildhall’s programme offers many opportunities for young people to develop skills and help shape the future of the venue.  

The Underground Festival of New Music showcases 30 artists across three venues, alongside an artist facing music conference providing valuable insight into building a career in the industry. Similarly, Gloucester Rooftop Festival in partnership with other City Arts Organisations, platforms and develops young artists and producers.  The venue’s core music programme of over 100 events per year, offer much-needed support slots with touring artists, as will the newly established Guildhall Presents series, exploring programming opportunities beyond the restrictions of the building’s capacity, using spaces of all sizes across the City.  

 Gloucester Guildhall regularly teams up with other organisations in the City to provide further opportunities for young creatives. The Spotlight video series in partnership with The Glos, aims to showcase Gloucester artists with exclusive performances shared digitally to followers. The venue also regularly plays host to Your Next Move for Street Dance workshops, and their annual competition MSB: Multi Styles Battle. For aspiring events managers, Gloucester Guildhall in association with University of Gloucestershire, are building a council of Young Programmers to create and market youth-oriented events at the venue. Made up of young people between 18-25 years old who are passionate about music, events and Gloucester, they will be seeking to platform underrepresented voices from project inception to event delivery.  

Gloucester Guildhall Cinema offers similar support to young creatives. Beginning a new series in 2021, screening collections of short films made by young filmmakers and adding a specially programmed season of cinema chosen by young people with accompanying Q&A sessions. Re-instating the venues 35mm projector offers further opportunities to introduce budding projectionists to traditional film screening techniques.  

 Operationally the venue also offers regular placement and volunteer opportunities for young people looking to make their first steps into the events industry.    

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Museum of Gloucester 

The Museum of Gloucester is supporting creativity in the City through collaboration with the Gloucester Culture Trust, co-creating with the Young Creative Group, with two kick-starter roles in collections for young people and by welcoming curators for their Community Gallery to share powerful stories that resonate with their audiences, empower communities, and to engage and inspire visitors. 

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Strike a Light 

📷Photo credit Fluxx Films

Based in Gloucester, Strike a Light is an organisation dedicated to making Gloucester a City with a vibrant culture for all. As a charity, Strike a Light ensure that everyone can access, take part, experience and enjoy all forms of creative activity, running a wide and varied programme of events, they are helping to grow the artist economy in Gloucester. 

Thousands of audience members have already been a part of Strike a Light’s performances, shows and activities, they have supported performers and companies, and created opportunities for hundreds of young people to enjoy and take part in arts activities. Please visit their website for more information on how you can get involved, whether you want to actively participate or simply experience some of the wide array of entertainment on offer, there really is something for everyone. 

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The Music Works  

The Music Works are a dedicated charity which works with young people to engage them through music and creativity; build confidence, self-belief and motivation; and empower them to reach their potential. They specialise in working with young people facing barriers in music, in learning and in life. They are truly embedded within the community and their work makes a significant difference to young people’s lives in Gloucestershire. Through developing young people’s musical and technical abilities, they can provide progression routes and opportunities for those who wish to pursue them. 

In June this year, the charity will be launching Gloucestershire's first and only fully inclusive community music hub for young people. Located in King’s House, in Gloucester, ‘The Hub’ will have its own events space, two recording studios, two production suites, practice spaces and a sensory music room, all equipped with top-of-the-range music technology, and designed to empower young people to engage with music in a really unique and powerful way. 

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Deepbed Radio 

Deepbed Radio is a relatively new project, an online station that is both led by, and supported by artists. Although online, it offers a community platform for emerging artists who have a connection with Gloucester and the surrounding areas. The Rooftop Festival last year launched with a full night of performances from local artists, an amazing and inspiring evening, paving the way to strengthen greater collaborative working with artist led hubs in the Stroud and Gloucester area. 

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The list of support and opportunities for Creatives within Gloucester is huge, we have mentioned just a few ideas and options to explore if you are looking for support, advice and to meet like-minded people – we look forward to seeing or hearing you perform in the not-too-distant future!