You may have heard about the plan to install art banners along Gloucester Road. The idea, led by the area’s independent traders, hopes to install the giant pieces of artwork on lamp posts along Gloucester Road. The idea is inspired by examples elsewhere in the city (such as Stapleton Rd and Horfield & Lockleaze) and other places in the country, and the artwork has been sourced from within our community.

The Gloucester Road Central website explains more:

“There will about 30 banners, approximately 2 metres tall, attached to lampposts, with 60 + artworks and words inspired by Gloucester Road and all it offers. Each banner is double sided so can have different images on either side and can be in place for up to 5 years. The banners will create a fantastic visual impact to the street scene – an open air Art Gallery up Gloucester Road. This community art project will be a collaborative effort of artists, businesses, organisations, individuals and Bristol Council to promote the arts, tourism, local shopping, sustainable transport and neighbourliness.

“The words and images will inform passers-by of all the fantastic shops and activities in the area on and around Gloucester Road. The hope is to encourage people to leave their cars behind in order to stroll up and down the high street, admiring the art and learning about the wide range of shops, galleries, health, beauty or spiritual centres, cafes, restaurants and bars. They will be a reminder that creativity happens all year round in our community.

“Gloucester Road is already known as the longest street of Independent Shops in Europe and attracts tourists from all over the UK and beyond. It really has ‘Everything You Need On One Street’. By putting up artistic banners along the whole road it will add to Bristol’s legacy as a highly creative city with a vibrant streets art scene.”

I wholeheartedly support the project -; it is an excellent proposal that will be of benefit to the whole of Gloucester Road. The banners will promote the Road as a centre for retail, leisure and tourism, adding to the reputation it already enjoys and helping to boost the local economy by encouraging people to visit and shop there.

Having the banners will also improve the sense of community and diversity in the area, helping people to take pride in their neighbourhood. The banners have been designed by members of the community, further adding to the sense of local pride in the area.

Also, the fact that these banners are artwork will add much to ongoing efforts to beautify Gloucester Road and its surrounding area, with the aesthetically pleasing appearance of the banners adding to the local street scene.

Furthermore, in addition to economic and social outcomes, the themes featured on the banners will also include health and environmental subjects such as sustainable transport, healthy living and outdoor recreation.

A planning application for the banners is currently being deliberated on by Bristol City Council officers, and we should hear soon whether permission for this exciting project will be granted.