Growing a more creative, collaborative & equitable Gloucestershire
Vision - the change we want to see
We believe creativity is a basic human right. Our vision is a future where everyone can use creativity to shape their lives, strengthen their communities and respond to the changing world around them.
Across Gloucestershire…
People recognise the strengths, relationships and resources already around them and feel confident to act on them together.
Communities are connected, powerful, and able to influence the decisions that affect their futures.
Creativity plays a vital role in building resilience, wellbeing and a sense of shared possibility.
Mission - what we do and why
Create Gloucestershire is a creative laboratory. We test new ways of bringing communities, artists and organisations together to grow community and creative power, then share what we learn so those ideas can take root across the county and beyond.
We create brave, collaborative spaces, champion shared, equitable leadership, and work to shift how culture is planned, funded and valued, so that communities have growing control over their own creative futures.
Some of our work happens on the ground alongside communities because real learning comes from doing - our purpose is always to open up what we find so others can put it in practice where they are.
Aims - where we focus
We concentrate our work where we believe the deepest change is possible: growing the power of communities and the organisations and sectors that work alongside them to shape arts and culture in Gloucestershire together.
We do this by:
Growing creative power - so that communities drive arts and cultural activity in their own places and spaces, and arts and cultural organisations are shaped by and connected to more people.
Growing financial power - so that funding for arts and culture is more participatory, trust-based and accessible - reaching communities and the wider sector more fairly and on better terms
Growing data power - so that communities generate and own their stories and insight, and use them to influence the decisions that affect their lives.
Values - how we work
Curiosity - Through deep listening, thoughtful enquiry and a willingness to test ideas, we uncover new possibilities. Curiosity helps us notice gaps, learn from experience and respectfully challenge the status quo.
Equity of voice - We continually ask: who else needs to be heard? We create space for different voices - of people and of nature - to rebalance power in conversations and decision-making.
Creative collaboration - Strong relationships are the foundation of meaningful change. We work with creativity, generosity, trust and a spirit of collective learning, recognising that the best solutions grow through collaboration rather than competition.
Join us:
You are warmly invited to add your ideas, expertise and resources into the CG mix and join our dynamic and supportive network. There is no formal process involved in joining the network, you can get involved in a variety of ways. Being a network member means that you can:
choose to subscribe to our newsletter: join our mailing list here.
choose to have a page on the network section of the website - follow this link and go to the 'click here to create your own profile' text.
contribute to the wider conversations we are having about arts and culture in Glos via social media (Instagram, LinkedIn and Facebook).
choose to join the Create Gloucestershire Facebook Group and make contributions/ask questions there.