Meanwhile in Gloucester
Our year-long programme of contemporary art in Gloucester’s empty shops and spaces.
Throughout 2026 we're bringing people together to create artworks and exhibitions in empty shops and other locations in Gloucester.
We've used ‘meanwhile spaces’ in previous projects to bring dynamic and accessible creative opportunities and events to Gloucester - turning unused spaces into creative spaces.
We launch with an exhibition by photographer Kelly O’Brien at the Meanwhile Gallery in March 2026, then bring an ambitious series of commissions for local and national artists, and new studio spaces for local artists.
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Follow our socials on Instagram and Facebook for updates this year, and make sure to sign up for our newsletter!
Meanwhile Gallery
20th March - 16th May 2026
The Meanwhile contemporary art gallery is located at the Promenade, on the 1st floor of the Eastgate Shopping Centre. The Gallery is free to enter, and will present 3 exhibitions from artists of national significance throughout the year starting with Kelly O'Brien.
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Opening hours:
Wednesdays and Thursdays
10am - 3pm
Fridays and Saturdays
11am - 4pm
Drop-In Family Activities
Every Saturday 1-3pm. Follow our socials on Instagram and Facebook for more information, and make sure to sign up for our newsletter!
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Eastgate St, Gloucester, GL1 1PA.
Find directions and location.
Exhibition
Kelly O’Brien : No Rest For The Wicked
​No Rest For The Wicked explores the cycle of labour endured by poor and working class women across 3 generations. Drawing from a Biblical Proverb the title signifies the seemingly unending struggle those bound to the grind of work face. This series is a visual commentary on the transformative nature of labour and its impact on the human spirit and body.
Through an intimate and reflective lens, O’Brien captures the lives of her grandmother, mother, and herself, weaving a narrative that spans decades of repetitive toil. The photographs present an unvarnished yet graceful portrayal of their dual existence - at work and home - quietly highlighting the often invisible labour that defines their lives.
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Kelly O'Brien is an artist, researcher and educator from Derby, currently living and working in the UK.
Kelly's Irish immigrant, poor working class background shapes her multidisciplinary practice, reflecting the complex experiences of interconnectivity, as well as the nuanced politics of in/visibility that continually influence the themes and perspectives she explores in her work.
www.kelly-o-brien.com
Artist Studios
Emerging artists in Gloucester
We are offering two artist studio spaces for two emerging artists to work in the middle of the new GAS Projects venue, with support and mentoring. These clean and carpeted pod studios are an exciting and vibrant new opportunity for Gloucester.
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The artists will take part in the group exhibition in early 2027, have a supportive creative community, plus a studio pod with individual, lockable access from March 2026 - Feb 2027.
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Funded through UKSPF funding, Arts Council England and Gloucester Culture Trust.
Deadline for artists to apply : Monday 9th March 2026 at midnight.
PDF : APPLICATION FOR ARTIST STUDIOS
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Public Artworks
Co-designing and creating artworks for Gloucester
GASP! Are working with a range of different groups across the city to co-design and create artworks that help to brighten and uplift meanwhile spaces in the city.
Follow our socials on Instagram and Facebook to find out what we're doing with Gloucester Market Traders, Bartongate Children & Family Centre and the Museum of Gloucester.
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You can also visit our Projects page to see previous public artworks we've developed in Gloucester.
Symposium
Co-designing and creating artworks for Gloucester
At the end of Meanwhile in Gloucester, a GASP! and University of Gloucestershire symposium will bring together project partners, residents, stakeholders to meanwhile use for talks and sessions that explore the challenges and opportunities of meanwhile use.
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Follow our socials on Instagram and Facebook and sign up for our newsletter for news on the Symposium.
Why Meanwhile?
"Meanwhile" is a term describing a space (like an empty shop unit), a building (like an empty department store) or a place (like an empty site awaiting construction). There are meanwhile spaces across the county and across the UK, just waiting for creative input.
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​“We're pleased to continue investing in GASP! and their work to platform artwork created by and for the local community. Gloucester is strategically important to us as an Arts Council Priority Place, and we recognise that cultural engagement has been too low for too long.
These meanwhile spaces are one way of addressing that gap, and I’m excited to see the shop units draw new audiences to the high street, sparking conversations between artists and residents about the value of in‑person connection and platforms that showcase creativity.”
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Phillipa Milne, Relationship Manager, Arts Council England
Tell us what you think!
We need your feedback to inform the project and hear more about what Gloucester residents and visitors want to see!
You're welcome to email admin@gasprojects.org.uk.
Funders & Supporters
Meanwhile in Gloucester is funded by:
Arts Council England
UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF)
The Eastgate Shopping Centre
Gloucester City Council
Gloucester Culture Trust
University of Gloucestershire
Together Gloucester
Meanwhile in Gloucester is also kindly supported by:
Gloucestershire Youth Support Team
Culture Matson
Gloucestershire Gateway Trust
Gloucestershire Libraries​
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