Gosport chosen to be one of six high streets to host a huge carnival from Historic England next summer

Hi! Street Fest, a landmark nation-wide project, will see free activities take place in the form of street parties and carnival celebrations for everyone con six high streets across England next summer.

Historic England and EEA will work with pioneering outdoor theatre company Emergency Exit Arts, as well as Gosport Cultural Consortium and other partners across the borough.

Emergency Exit Arts previously organised The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Pageant.

A representative from Gosport Cultural Consortium said: ‘Gosport Cultural Consortium is delighted that Gosport has been selected as one of the towns to host Hi! Street Fest in 2023. We are really excited to be involved in an event which will be driven by the community and it’s wonderful to see local people, groups and businesses getting involved at this early stage.’

Residents are able to take part in the planning of the carnival through a number of volunteer roles, which include local assistant director and community producer traineeships.

A representative from Historic England said: ‘Collaboration is at the heart of this project and the next step is to appoint a local Assistant Director who will work together with community groups and artists in Gosport to develop local works in different art forms.

‘The concept of Hi! Street Fest is open and flexible, giving room for co-creation in each place. In 2023, after weeks of outreach and community workshops the project will culminate in a free, spectacular, home-grown procession in Gosport around the town centre.’

The three local community producer trainees will take part in a 10-week online training program with EEA, starting in January 2023.

The nationwide carnival project marks the final year of the £95m High Streets Heritage Action Zones Programme which is revitalising more than 60 high streets across England.

Other national commissions include a four-year photography project to creatively document the changing face of the nation’s high street, coming to a conclusion in 2024. 

The Gosport carnival is set to take place on on Saturday, July 22.