Established in 1999 by a group of arts enthusiasts, GACCI continues to promote creativity and culture in the Gloucester region.

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“There was a need in the community for arts activities, so to solve the problem a group of us started an arts council,” said founding member Julie Lyford.

The group then put out a call-out to the community asking for help.

“Heaps of people turned up and so we knew we had support,” said Chris Steele, another founding member.

GACCI was, and still is, run by a volunteer committee working alongside over 50 volunteer supporters.

The aim of the group was to create arts opportunities for the community with a particular focus on the youth of Gloucester.

Youth projects such as the ‘The Big Night In’ talent competition, drama, music, and art workshops were regular activities for local young people.

“It wasn’t about the students learning to be actors or artists,” said Maureen Hjorth, a long-time GACCI member.

“We wanted to give young people the confidence to try new things.”

Since the organisation’s inception, the GACCI Players has produced a yearly performance in the local Senior Citizen Centre (CITZ).

“‘[It is] a pretty good record,” said Chris Steele.

“We started the GACCI Players for a bit of fun writing comedy sketches with local humour called Skits in the CITZ,” he said.

The Players went on to perform at the Gloucester Shakespeare Festival and continue to produce a range of productions from drama to dinner theatre.

“The GACCI Players brought entertainment to Gloucester,” Maureen Hjorth told News Of The Area.

Over the 25 years, GACCI has collaborated with a range of outside organisations, most recently Music in the Regions.

“Bringing outside artists into the town further enriches the cultural experiences available to the people of Gloucester,” said Charlie Lethbridge.

By Wendy Buswell