Grants available to increase city's arts events

The Together Gloucester scheme wants to bring new art projects to the city

Applications are now open for funding for projects and events aimed at boosting a city's art scene and cultural calendar.

The Together Gloucester partnership offers grants of up to £12,000 to help grow existing events or test out new ideas.

Now in its third year, the scheme has so far backed 42 projects, including a contemporary art trail, hip hop workshops, Bollywood screenings and helped bring a famous circus company to the city.

Together Gloucester is now offering grants for events taking place between April 2026 and March 2027, and applications will close on 9 November.

Ann-Marie Leighton, cultural development manager at Gloucester City Council, said: "We spent two years speaking to people in Gloucester trying to figure out what is missing - specifically around culture and creativity.

"We were hearing messages like 'culture's not for me, there's nothing I want to go to, everything's based in the city centre, nobody really talks to each other' - so we started using this feedback to create a programme."

She said Together Gloucester was about involving the community in decisions, and making the city "a better place to live to live and to work and to visit".

"We also want to make sure we are boosting health and well-being in our city," she said.

The contemporary arts trail was one of the events supported by Together Gloucester

"We want to make sure that normal, everyday people feel that creativity is something for them."

Grants of £1,000 are on offer for brand new ideas, or to grow existing community activity and groups across Gloucester.

Up to £12,000 is available to people developing larger events or projects, or cultural events.

Councillor Caroline Courtney, cabinet member for culture and leisure at Gloucester City Council, said: "We've been delighted with the huge increase in the number of applications and the variety of creative projects coming forward."

Together Gloucester is funded by Arts Council England and Gloucester City Council.