I am delighted to report that Gloucester Guildhall joins the Arts Council’s prestigious National Portfolio for the very first time. This amounts to a multi-year investment package worth £250,000 per year for the next three years. This investment will enable the Guildhall team to deliver more for Gloucester people, by bringing high-quality touring acts to the city, as well as helping develop Gloucester’s own talent.

There will be workshops and activities, such as learning a new skill or gaining professional support in developing your career – or joining a new dance class just for fun! Some additional roles in production management and marketing will be created, meaning more jobs and opportunities being created in the city too.

Transforming Gloucester Guildhall

This announcement follows on from the recent capital investment into Gloucester Guildhall that has transformed the space, up-grading the facilities and making it fit for the future. It now has the fastest WiFi in the county, as well as the largest sprung dance-floor, with great facilities for meetings and conferences – all with a greener carbon rating as we have managed to replace energy-hungry stage lights for more energy-efficient LED ones. The cinema has also been refurbished and the café-bar improved. During the renovation, we uncovered and revealed a beautiful mosaic floor.

Over £2m investment in Gloucester’s cultural sector

Across the city there were some other notable successes in this funding round. Strike a Light – the arts organisation behind many of the city’s exciting programmes over the past 10 years – have retained their status as a National Portfolio Organisation. They are joined by Gloucester Culture Trust – the council’s strategic partner in delivering the city’s ambitious cultural strategy. This is excellent news for the city and will amount to over £2m investment into Gloucester’s cultural sector over the next three years.

This is a strong sign that the Arts Council believes Gloucester is a place worth investing in and can deliver great cultural experiences.

I am very excited by what can be done over the coming years with this additional resource that will ensure Gloucester’s cultural scene continues to flourish and benefit the city and its residents.