Neil Walker

Neil Walker is a creative director & co-founder of artist-led space SVA (Stroud Valleys Arts). SVA hosts several festivals throughout the year, such as SITE open studios and Jazz Stroud festival. Neil has been in Stroud for over 25 years, and in that time has met many creatives from Gloucester who wanted a space for their own. After running projects from the Picturedrome, including carnival workshops and jam sessions with local musicians before the pandemic, Neil enquired about the owners of the building. With a vision to create a new space in the vibrant city centre of Gloucester, Neil took on the lease in 2021. He had hoped the City Council and Cultural Trust would jump on the project, and it could become a beacon of artistic excellence. Neil described grassroots artist spaces as ‘Messy, and gritty and dirty and really exciting.’ He is grateful for all the people he met through the Picturedrome and praises Voices Gloucester and Musicworks for the dynamic projects they produce here.