Gloucester Cultural Initiative believes in an inclusive view of cultural vitality which recognizes a wide range of creative expression by individuals and communities. The Initiative understands, moreover, that modes of expression continually evolve as society changes over time. Within this wide compass, the Initiative recognizes the arts as an animating force at the heart of culture, a means of self-understanding for individuals and communities, a means of understanding others and a changing world, and a means of strengthening the social, spiritual, civic, environmental, and economic fabrics of the City of Gloucester.