Who we are
We work to increase access to arts and culture for everyone across Gloucestershire.
We are a not-for-profit organisation, and we act as a creative laboratory: testing new ways of bringing communities, artists and organisations together to grow community and creative power, then sharing what we learn so those ideas can take root more widely.
To achieve this, we collaborate with communities and partners on a variety of creative programmes.
The CG Mix
Across all our work we use the CG Mix: equity of voice, curiosity and creative collaboration, which together enable creative collective action.
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.
Curiosity
Through deep listening, thoughtful enquiry and a willingness to test ideas, we uncover new possibilities and respectfully challenge the status quo.
Creative collaboration
Strong relationships are the foundation of meaningful change. The best solutions grow through collaboration rather than competition.
Read our methodology →
Our origins
We began in 2011, bringing Gloucestershire's arts and cultural sector together to collaborate and test new collective ways of working. With members, artists and organisations across the county, we wrote a manifesto for the future of arts and culture, and a plan to get there together.
Fifteen years on, we have worked with hundreds of organisations, artists, community members and partners from health, education and beyond to embed creativity in people's lives across our county. We have helped thousands of young people to take part in arts where they live, or take their first steps towards a creative career.
We helped establish Gloucestershire as a national leader in arts and health partnerships and practice, and today we represent culture and creativity in a pioneering collaboratory connecting the VCSE sector and NHS across the county.
What next?
The future we are working towards is one where creativity is something people use to shape their lives, strengthen their communities and respond to a fast-changing world.
Getting there depends on more people recognising what creativity makes possible, and on strong relationships across sectors to sustain it. So we are:
Growing creative leadership and power from the grassroots up to expand the arts and culture sector here, making it more relevant and accessible for more people.
Supporting the people who already hold their communities together but rarely get called leaders.
Deepening our work with partners in health, careers, education and beyond.
This is the groundwork for our next strategy running to 2033, which we are building now with communities and partners across the county.
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 to join the network, and you can get involved, contribute to the wider conversations about arts and culture in Glos, and meet other people from our county-wide networks via our newsletter, on social media, and by taking part in our events and opportunities.