Culture in Hereford

What better place to start our Golden Ticket blog than by letting you know about some of the rich and diverse culture you can be a part of in Hereford!

Whether you are catching a new film, the ballet or a Christmas panto, an art exhibition, attending a singing for health and happiness class or just grabbing a cup of coffee The Courtyard is one of the main centres for the Arts in Hereford. With a varied live performance, film and visual programme there is something for everyone.

In the centre of the City and close to the river, our beautiful 11^th century Cathedral is not only a place of worship, but also the home to some pretty amazing pieces of unique British history. The Mappa Mundi, a 13^th century interpretation of the world in spiritual and geographical terms sits within the Chained Library, where you will find 8^th century medieval manuscripts. We are also lucky enough to use the Cathedral as the venue for our Graduation each year –  so we will see you there in 2023!

Herefordshire is full of surprises too many to list but you will never run out of things to discover, from great gallery spaces in the heart of the City to those tucked away down quiet country lanes.  Wherever you go you will experience a mix of local and international artists. You can visit their websites to find out more – Canwood Gallery pictured above, Apple Store Gallery, Hereford Museum and Art Gallery, The Craft Gallery are just a few! You may also want to check out Meadow Arts and the Sidney Nolan Trust who deliver exhibitions and projects in unusual places and spaces.

Love film? Hereford has some great ways to get your cinema fix including the annual Borderlines Film Festival, where you can see fascinating, thought provoking films from around the world. Flicks in the Sticks is a more alternative experience, where you get to watch films from local, more intimate village venues. The Loft Cinema offers films from all genres and all decades, enjoyed from the comfort of a sofa – with amazing food and a bar you really can’t go wrong. If you are looking for something a little more “Hollywood” you can catch all the blockbusters at the Odeon.

If you’re a book lover Hay-on- Wye is on our doorstep, well a bus ride away and known as the Town of Books, with over 20 bookshops it’s a literary dream. Lose yourself for hours in books both old and new and if you’re lucky, you might just spot a local author or two. Once famously said to be the Woodstock of the Mind, Hay Festival is an annual celebration of literature, featuring a wealth of famous authors, musicians, artists and people of our time. Hay is cut off from the world by a dismal phone signal and lacking any chain stores, it is a step back into the past and an adventure of literary proportions.

You really must ensure you explore the hidden corners of the county as you will meet hundreds of individual artists who each year take part in H-Art, a huge collaborative exhibition of local artists, designers and makers. Get inspired whilst getting to nose inside manor houses, barns & farms, churches and gardens.

Hereford is a county steeped in history and culture but it also welcomes the new, the inventive, the brave, so a day spent exploring really is a day well spent. Look out for our Culture Draw this Friday, there’s a prize up for grabs that you can enjoy this Autumn as a student at Hereford College of Arts, so have your golden ticket ready!