We met with Adam Coleman, Chief Executive of Gloucester Culture Trust, in the JOLT workspace in King’s Square.

GCT are driving cultural activity in the city, in partnership with the city council. We explained a little about what we do via Creative Field and our musical activities.

For a long time, there has been a sense that Gloucester is the poor relation in the county, for cultural events. That is slowly changing as more and more events happen in our city.

As we slowly recover from Covid and start to rebuild our programme of events, it will be vital that we keep being imaginative and innovation.

Some cities have had their cultural offer given an injection of funding and attention by securing City of Culture status. The Conservative administration at Gloucester City have considered bidding for this before, and this time around even got as far as the expression of interest stage before realising that it is too large a task at present.

Bidding for, achieving and then delivering City of Culture is an all-encompassing project and opposition councillors are concerned at the lack of capacity at an already stretched council. But if it could be shown that a bid could be successful and the year properly funded, then it would be a boon for our city.

In the meantime the city must play to its strengths in terms of art and culture. Visual arts, music, performance – all are strong and being supported by the GCT, the council and local partners. We have a great sense of community spirit, and people who want to make things work.

Above all we have a rich and fascinating history which lends itself very well to artworks which draw on it, and tell stories based on it. Community spirit and a unique history must be our chief selling points as we seek to put Gloucester on the cultural map.