Amateur and professional artists hoping to compete for cash prizes are urged to sign up to this weekend’s WSP Art In City competitions before time runs out. WSP Art in the City celebrates creativity inspired by Gloucester’s history and heritage, its picturesque surroundings and its people. Easels and palettes will be dotted around Gloucester Cathedral and the historic Docks as promising Pablo Picassos and fledgling Frida Kahlos will be competing in the ‘Plein Air’ outdoor painting competition on Saturday 14 July. In the Open Art competition, artists will be displaying past work inside the Cathedral’s ornate cloisters for the judges’ consideration. Both contests are offering a first prize of £1,000, £500 for runners up and £250 for the student prize. There is also a family competition where a whole clan can collaborate on a piece of art! The judging panel includes art historian and BBC broadcaster, Dr Janina Ramirez; WSP Art In the City artistic director, Russell Haines; and Stroud-based abstract artist, Ed Swarez.

There are citywide artists’ exhibitions including one from former England cricketer, Jack Russell MBE (celebrating his 30^th anniversary as a professional artist), in St Michael’s Tower; a group exhibition in Debenhams, and many more in Gloucester’s shopping centres, churches and public buildings. Visit www.artinthecity.org.uk/exhibitions for the full list of artists and locations.

To keep the children happy, there are free art workshops taking place Saturday and Sunday at 38 Westgate Street (on the corner of College Court) where you can learn a whole range of artistic crafts. All workshops are free and do not require any booking – just turn up! A fabulous Artisan Street Market will pitch up in the Gate Street and feature arts, crafts, food and drink on both days.

Artistic director of the festival, Russell Haines, said: “This year’s WSP Art in the City will see Gloucester turned into one huge art space with exhibitions, competitions and workshops for everyone. I hope many people will come out in the beautiful weather (perfect light for painting!) and take part in the competitions and workshops, perhaps producing a masterpiece of this magnificent city.”

WSP Art in the City is sponsored by WSP Solicitors and organised by Marketing Gloucester as part of SoMAC – Gloucester’s Summer of Music, Arts and Culture.

Contestants can register at www.artinthecity.org.uk/competition.

For more information on artists involved, exhibitions, workshops and the market visit  www.artinthecity.org.uk.

For more information, please contact ben@marketinggloucester.co.uk.

ENDS.

Everything you need to know about Art In The City

Competitions

PLEIN AIR COMPETITION (OUTDOOR PAINTING) 

Whether it’s iconic landmarks such as the magnificent Gloucester Cathedral, the picturesque Victorian Docks, or street scenes of everyday life, artists will be competing in this exciting event for all to see.

The finished pieces will be displayed in an exhibition with judges awarding prizes to the best work for each category. Contestants’ artwork will be judged by the panel on the evening of Saturday 14 July 2018. The judges will be looking at which artworks best capture the spirit of the city.

Winner £1000

Runner up £500

Student £250

OPEN ART COMPETITION 

Anybody can enter this competition and each artist can submit up to 3 entries, as long as they have been completed within the last 3 years. The pieces can be any theme or medium and all submissions will be displayed in Gloucester Cathedral Cloisters and Cloister Gardens, depending on the weather.

Winner £1000

Runner Up £500

Student £250

FAMILY COMPETITION

All new for WSP Art In The City 2018, an exciting new category – the family category. It invites families to participate in the creation of a piece of art, contestants can either create one piece between the whole family or each individual family member can create their own piece and the pieces will be judged collectively. There will be prizes of £25 Gift Cards for the 10 best entries.

COMMUNITY COMPETITION

Another exciting new category for this year is the Community Group Competition – a chance for 15 community groups to create an artwork with the theme “My Community”

They have been given FREE materials courtesy of Gloucester City Council, Marketing Gloucester and Jackson’s Art Supplies and will compete to win the £500 prize for the best entry.

Cllr Jennie Watkins, who came up with the idea, will announce the winner on the evening Saturday 14th July at the Ivor Gurney Hall (Kings School).

EXHIBITIONS AND WORKSHOPS

A full list and a map can be found in the accompanying leaflet.

Gloucestershire Chamber of Commerce Networking Breakfast – 1^st June 2018

Mercure Gloucester Bowden Hall will play host to the next Gloucestershire Chamber of Commerce networking breakfast on Friday 1st June 2018.

Hosted by former editor of The Gloucester Citizen, Ian Mean, the breakfast will bring together Gloucestershire businesses large and small; what’s more it’s open to both members and non-members of Gloucestershire Chamber, so you’ll always find new connections!

In addition to unrivalled networking opportunities, the breakfast will feature keynotes speeches by:

• Sir Henry Elwes, former Lord Lieutenant of Gloucestershire;
• Richard Graham, MP for Gloucester;
• Mark Hawthorne, Leader of Gloucestershire County Council; and
• Stephen Marston, Vice Chancellor of the University of Gloucestershire.

Format

7.30 am – arrival, tea, coffee and networking

8.00 am – welcome followed by presentations

8.30 am – breakfast served

9.30 am – event closes

Places are limited – you can secure yours by registering online here.

Gloucestershire Chamber of Commerce Networking Breakfast – 1^st June 2018

Mercure Gloucester Bowden Hall will play host to the next Gloucestershire Chamber of Commerce networking breakfast on Friday 1st June 2018.

Hosted by former editor of The Gloucester Citizen, Ian Mean, the breakfast will bring together Gloucestershire businesses large and small; what’s more it’s open to both members and non-members of Gloucestershire Chamber, so you’ll always find new connections!

In addition to unrivalled networking opportunities, the breakfast will feature keynotes speeches by:

• Sir Henry Elwes, former Lord Lieutenant of Gloucestershire;
• Richard Graham, MP for Gloucester;
• Mark Hawthorne, Leader of Gloucestershire County Council; and
• Stephen Marston, Vice Chancellor of the University of Gloucestershire.

Format

7.30 am – arrival, tea, coffee and networking

8.00 am – welcome followed by presentations

8.30 am – breakfast served

9.30 am – event closes

Places are limited – you can secure yours by registering online here

Well-wishers in Gloucester are invited to attend a Royal Wedding street party in King’s Square in the city centre to celebrate the marriage of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on Saturday 19 May. The ceremony will beamed live on to a big screen for members of the public to enjoy.  

Benches will be laid out in Kings Square for people to bring a picnic and enjoy the family friendly atmosphere. It’s also a great opportunity to support local cafes and bars in Kings Square who will be serving food and drink for people to enjoy on this historic occasion. People are also free to bring along their own seating. There will be free children’s activities, face painting, giant inflatable games including ‘human fussball’, and lots more. 

After the Royal Wedding, the big screen will stay in operation for a live broadcast of the FA Cup Final featuring Chelsea versus Manchester United. The big screen and street party has been organised by Gloucester Business Improvement District (Gloucester BID) in partnership with Gloucester City Council and Marketing Gloucester. 

Jason Smith, chief executive of Marketing Gloucester, said: “This is a great opportunity for the local community to come together and celebrate occasions of national importance such as a royal wedding. We hope that the people of Gloucester will have fun watching it on the big screen among other people and turn Kings Square into a right royal street party among the flags and bunting.” 

The big screen coverage of the Royal Wedding begins at 11am until 2pm. It will be followed by the build up to the FA Cup Final with the big match kicking off at 5.15pm.

For more information, contact info@marketinggloucester.co.uk

ENDS.

Notes for Editors

About Gloucester BID

Gloucester Business Improvement District is made up of 576 businesses in the city centre of Gloucester who voted in July 2017 to invest approximately £2.5 million back into the city.

Gloucester will celebrate the life of Aethelflaed on 9 – 12 June 2018 thanks to joint Great Place funding from the Heritage Lottery and Arts Council, Gloucester City Council and Gloucester Business Improvement District; with events organised by Marketing Gloucester, Gloucester Cathedral, Gloucester Civic Trust, Gloucester Culture Trust, Gloucester History Festival and the Museum of Gloucester.

Tuesday 12 June 2018 marks the 1100^th anniversary of the death of Aethelflaed, one of the most pivotal women in English history, who ruled from and was buried in Gloucester. A fascinating and interactive programme of events along with a website www.Aethelflaed2018.co.uk has been launched to celebrate her life and achievements that had a profound impact on not only Gloucester but all across England. Exclusive talks BBC historians and regulars at the Gloucester History Festival, Dr Janina Ramirez and Tom Holland, and probably most excitingly a Saxon-inspired funeral procession through the ancient streets that she laid out, are among the undoubted highlights for visitors and history buffs this June.  https://www.aethelflaed2018.co.uk/events/saxon-funeral-procession/

As the ruler of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Mercia, she laid the foundations of the England we know today. Gloucester’s connection to Aethelflaed is indeed a strong one as she refortified the former Roman settlement and defended it from the Vikings, she ruled from the Anglo Saxon Palace in Kingsholm, She built St Oswald’s Priory to house the sacred relics of one of England’s most devoutly Christian kings and she was buried beneath the same building.

There will be an Anglo-Saxon encampment at St Oswald’s Priory where members of the public will have the chance see what life was like in the tenth century and also take part in an archaeological study. The encampment will host specially commissioned music, drama and spoken word performances inspired by Aethelflaed. Members of the public can enjoy free Saxon Tours of Gloucester to help set the scene and a special exhibition will be held at the Museum of Gloucester over the summer. Gloucester Cathedral will hold a special Evensong dedicated to Aethelflaed on the actual anniversary, Tuesday 12 June.

Jason Smith, Chief Executive of Marketing Gloucester commented “After over four years of promoting the knowledge of one of the most important women in English History it is a real delight for us to see so many people and organisations involved in commemorating her achievements.  We are sure that the events planned will be memorable for all involved”

Nick Brookes, chair of Gloucester Business Improvement District, said: “Gloucester owes a great debt to Lady Aethelflaed. After the Romans, Aethelflaed played a hugely important role in laying the foundations of the Gloucester we see today. We hope that the public will join us in celebrating her life and achievements.”

The Programme is as follows:

Friday 8 June to Sunday 10 June – Living History at St Oswald’s Priory

Saturday 9 June – Saxon Funeral Procession (12pm from Gloucester Docks)

Saturday 9 to Sunday 10 June – Aethelflaed Commissioned Pieces

• Spaces – George Moorey
• Spaniel In The Works presents Ballad of Aethelflaed
• Founding Mother on a Chessboard of Kings – Grove and JPDL
• Interactive Storytelling – Shirley Halse

Sunday 10 June – Blackfriars Talks

• Aethelflaed And Gloucester: The Golden Minster – Carolyn Heighway And Michael Hare
• Women Warlords and Warrior Queens – Janina Ramirez
• Aethelflaed: England’s Founding Mother – Tom Holland

The entire programme of events can be found at www.aethelflaed2018.co.uk.

For more information please contact ben@marketinggloucester.co.uk

As Gloucester looks forward to another event-filled summer celebrating the city’s vibrant culture and musical scene, Marketing Gloucester invites event organisers to be included in this year’s SoMAC brochure.

Gloucester’s Summer of Music, Arts and Culture is the annual festival running throughout July and August, bringing together established events including the Gloucester Carnival, the Gloucester Rhythm & Blues Festival and Gloucester Goes Retro alongside newer events such as WSP Solicitors Art In The City and the Gloucester Classical Music Festival.

Marketing Gloucester will also promote other summer cultural events in Gloucester free of charge. Last year the Museum of Gloucester, Gloucester Cathedral, St Mary de Crypt Church, Gloucester Guildhall, King’s Theatre, Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust, the Gloucester 10K, and Gloucester Quays benefitted from the additional exposure as the brochure, banners, PR and social media reached an audience of more than 1.5 million over the summermonths.

If you are an event organiser and you think your event or festival would fit in with Gloucester’s Summer of Music, Arts and Culture and would benefit from being a part of the overall brand, contact Marketing Gloucester on info@marketinggloucester.co.uk with your event details byWednesday 9 May 2018.

The 6th Gloucester CAMRA Beer & Cider Festival is taking place on 27-28 April and will once again be hosted in the historic Blackfriars Priory, off Southgate Street in Gloucester. We will have around 100 ales and 30 ciders, plus a selection of wine and prosecco. The magnificent Blackfriars building proves a perfect backdrop for the festival with a variety of rooms, including quiet rooms and the priory’s beautiful South Range, plus the (hopefully!) sunny courtyard. The cavernous main hall is ideal for keeping the beers and ciders at the perfect temperature.

Our 100 beers once again come from across the country – from as far Alexandria in Scotland to the north and Penzance in Cornwall to the South. We also have a wide range of local beers from around Gloucester, with the closest coming from Gloucester Brewery and the Brewhouse and Kitchen, just yards from the venue in Gloucester Docks, and the newest being from Clavell & Hind, recently opened at Birdlip.

For the enthusiasts we have a wide range of styles from bitter and IPAs to blonde, golden, pale and red ales. We’ve even got a green one. We’ve got porters, stouts and, for CAMRA’s ‘Mild Month’, a good selection of milds. We’ve got wheat beer, lager and, for the truly adventurous, a rhubarb and hibiscus Grisette. We’ve also sourced beers from microbreweries around the country that you’re unlikely to find in your local.

The festival is not just for beer lovers, we also have an equally interesting mix of ciders and perries. Many come from traditional cider areas around Gloucestershire, Herefordshire and Somerset, but we also have some from Wales and Nottinghamshire. As well as the traditional sweet medium and dry, we have ciders made with sloeberries, oranges, blackcurrant, lemon & lime, strawberry, garlic & chilli, elderflower and rhubarb.

There is also wine and prosecco available and, as if all of that isn’t enough, we will once again have our popular selection of Gloucestershire cheeses, including varieties from  Charles Martel, Smarts, Crumps and Woefuldane. There will also be hot food available throughout the festival.

The festival isn’t just for die-hard beer and cider lovers. Being in the centre of town it attracts a wide range of customers of all ages and interests to come and have a fun, relaxing time. Of course Gloucester Rugby are playing at home to Bath on the Saturday, so we anticipate a fair few cherry and white shirts about the festival before and after the match as well, with the away supporters being equally welcome. We have beers from both Gloucester and Bath, so the friendly rivalry can continue!

There is entertainment on throughout the festival with a mix of bands and solo artists from around the county, including the ever-popular Tewkesbury Town Band on Saturday afternoon and some popular sing-along covers bands to bring the festival to a close each day. Each year we support a charity at the festival and our chosen charity this year is the James Hopkins Trust.

Entry price is just £6 – the same as last year – with tickets available on the door only. CAMRA members get a free pint with members card. People can join at the festival if they wish.

For more information visit www.gloucesterbeerfestival.org.uk.

Following the launch of his new Review It With Drewitt guide, Christian Drewitt is building up a comprehensive account of venues, not only in the City of Gloucester, but also the surrounding areas. One Forest of Dean business in particular has seen the value of working closely with Review It With Drewitt. Phill Hucks from the Orchard Trust Day Centre in Lydbrook was pleasantly surprised to realise that seeing his day centre through Christian’s eyes, there was so much more could be done to improve the accessibility of the site.

Phill Hucks, Project Manager at The Orchard Trust, said: “Christian knows far better than I ever will how easy or difficult it is to use our services and that is why we wanted him to give us feedback which we could use to improve our accessibility. If I were a potential customer I would be happier trusting the advice of someone who experiences this all the time and so the review on his website will be a powerful marketing tool to enable us to reach exactly the clients we are seeking to provide a service for.”

Christian with Dame Janet Trotter

With Marketing Gloucester CEO Jason Smith, Molly, and Gloucester Mayor S Morgan

Christian Drewitt said: “I visited The Orchard Trust in Lydbrook in January and was pleased to find such a great venue with a variety of activities for anyone with a disability to enjoy for a day out. The centre is on a hillside, a little tricky to find but with good directions well worth a visit with so much to do. My main concerns were some tight corners for wheelchairs, only manual doors throughout and a few changes needing to be made in the toilets to enable independence as much as possible. My suggestions were received very positively by Project Manager Phill Hucks and we look forward to reviewing the centre again in the future to keep the website up to date.”

The Review It With Drewitt website which details accessibility of businesses for wheelchairs and the many varied disabilities of which 20% of the UK population are affected. Information ranging from door specifications such as width, automatic opener or manual, ramps, steps or level entrances, menus with large print or whether staff are happy to take time to explain a menu to someone who is visually impaired, music volume and general restaurant background noise, information regarding toilet facilities and many other details to ensure guests are making an informed decision when choosing a venue.

Christian has visited recreational venues, including restaurants, sports centres and Kingsholm Stadium, the home of Gloucester Rugby, pubs, museums, farm parks, cinemas, parks, public spaces and retail developments. Each venue will be assessed and advised on improvements if necessary and then revisited to review any changes. Each venue on the website will have a basic 1 to 5 star rating free of charge and, if subscribing with a small annual fee, businesses can provide more detailed information and photographs. Christian hopes this will make it an easier experience when planning a day out.

Find out more by visiting the www.reviewitwithdrewitt.co.uk

ENDS.

Notes for Editors

Images embedded in Word Document.

For further information, images or to request interviews contact christian@reviewitwithdrewitt.co.uk

About Review It With Drewitt

Our mission is to enable access to public places for ALL people with any form of disability. Our experience has disabled members of society has shown that many simple everyday tasks relating to travel and getting out and about are so much easier for the able-bodied than those with disabilities. We want to change this and make it the same for everyone.

Go behind the scenes this Residents’ Weekend with free hard hat tours of Gloucester’s most exciting restoration projects

Members of the public are in for a treat this Residents’ Weekend (Friday 6 to Sunday 8 April) with exclusive free hard hat tours of some of Gloucester’s multi-million pound restorations. Llanthony Secunda Priory with £3.2 million of Heritage Lottery funding and St. Mary de Crypt also receiving £2 million towards their restoration. Residents’ Weekend also gives people who live, work or study in Gloucester the opportunity to try something new with big savings at shops, restaurants, attractions and leisure facilities.

Llanthony Secunda Priory is a former Augustinian priory founded in 1136 and is currently undertaking extensive conservation work. Witness the amazing progress that has been made over the last few years in restoring some of the building’s key features such as the Medieval Range’s newly repaired timber frame. This will be the last public tour before the priory reopens later this summer and a rare chance to witness the work involved in restoring a heritage site. The tour takes place on Friday 6^th April at 11am.

Another site undergoing an exciting restoration is St. Mary de Crypt Church and the Old Crypt Schoolroom in Southgate Street. St Mary de Crypt is a fine late 15^th Century church situated in the centre of Gloucester. Adjacent to this is one of the few remaining Tudor schoolrooms in the country. There are two medieval wall paintings in the chancel, one of which depicts the Adoration of the Magi. The tours take place on Saturday 7^th April at 10am and 11am and are free for Residents’ Weekend making it the perfect time to explore of city’s architectural and historical gems.

Credit Gloucestershire Live https://www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk/news/gloucester-news/construction-vehicles-outside-one-gloucesters-1087601

Gloucester Civic Trust is also running many free tours all over the city on Saturday 7^th April. Some of the tours and talks on offer are; Roman Times Tour, The Faces of Gloucester Talk, Beatrix Potter Tour, Children’s Tour and many more. A particularly exciting one for this year’s Residents’ Weekend is the Saxon Tour which would include a look at the influence of Aetheflaed in Gloucester’s history. This year is the 1100^th anniversary of the death of Aethelfaed and the city will be marking the occasion with a number of activities and events between the 7^th and 10^th June (more details at www.aethelflaed2018.co.uk). The tours are a fantastic opportunity to learn more about the Saxon queen ahead of the celebrations this summer.

Ben Hau, Head of Marketing at Marketing Gloucester, said: “This is a great chance to feel like a tourist in your own city and enjoy a sneak peak at some of Gloucester’s many historical buildings – all free of charge. The annual Residents’ Weekend has been running for six years now and is a wonderful showcase for the attractions and businesses on our doorstep.”

Booking is essential:

Llanthony Secunda Priory tour – contact Tourist Information Centre on 01452 396572

St Mary de Crypt tour – contact mail@discoverdecrypt.org.uk or call 01452 385070

Gloucester Civic Trust tour – contact Tourist Information Centre on 01452 396572

See all the offers for Residents’ Weekend at https://t.co/mblCv7N0wD