Gloucester City Council has revealed it is in the early stages of planning a city-wide celebration to mark the 200th anniversary of Gloucester Docks in 2027, as part of a new cultural and community partnership.
There are plans to create a programme of cultural events to celebrate the bicentenary, taking inspiration from the city's maritime heritage, themes from the last 20 years of Gloucester Tall Ships Festival and how the docks connect Gloucester to the rest of the world.
Emulating the six-month cultural programme around the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, and the Plymouth Mayflower 400, the aim is to involve every ward of Gloucester in the celebrations — with ideas including live performances, public art, community events and opportunities for creative expression for all communities.
The partnership hopes the bicentenary celebrations will build a greater connection with Gloucester's waterways and encourage vessels to moor at Gloucester Docks throughout 2027, so residents and visitors can enjoy seeing tall ships all year round.
Councillor Caroline Courtney, cabinet member for culture and leisure, said: 'The docks bicentenary is a rare opportunity to bring the whole city together for a celebration of our waterways, our communities, and Gloucester's global connections made because we're a port.
'This is still in early planning, but we are hopeful that it will leave a lasting legacy and help put Gloucester on the map.'
Gloucester City Council hopes to increase the number and variety of cultural events taking place across the city by helping local organisations and producers access funding to host their own events, following a review of festival and events in the city and the launch of the Together Gloucester initiative with Gloucester Culture Trust.
The initiative hopes to create a collaborative approach and give local people more control over the events staged in their city.
Cultural organisations interested in getting funding or support for events in Gloucester can see current opportunities on the Together Gloucester website.
