Our ethos

The Bar Park is built on respect, safety and belonging. We are an actively anti-discriminatory space that challenges bias, discrimination, privilege and misogyny. Respect every voice. Respect every body. Every body can. We are all here for each other.

We believe creativity is power, especially for those whose voices which are often overlooked. When people have ownership, they feel safe to create, and when they are safe to express, they start to lead. Whether through movement, art, storytelling or events, creativity is how confidence, leadership and self-determination grow.

Wellbeing means supporting the whole person. We create safe, supportive environments where people feel seen, listened to and supported especially when life feels heavy. We normalise real conversations, care and connection, because no one thrives without feeling mentally safe. We also work to change the systems and spaces around us, challenging the barriers that prevent young people from thriving.

Belonging happens when people are heard and taken seriously. Our work is person-centred, shaped around the needs, experiences and identities of the people in the space. We stay in constant dialogue with young people and communities, listening, adapting and growing our programmes alongside the people we serve.

Building community from the ground up

The Bar Park is a touchpoint for young people, particularly those facing barriers to services, providing signposting to support, access to a positive peer community, and opportunities for physical development, personal growth and professional progression through the Chispa Youth Leadership Programme.

We invest in young people and adult community leaders as facilitators, equipping them with the skills to use the space safely, ensure safeguarding, signpost to relevant support services, and create an inclusive, comfortable and welcoming environment. Facilitator training is integrated into live sessions, providing ongoing practical experience and mentoring from the facilitators. Facilitators learn to apply a progression-based approach, teach accessibly, use trauma-informed methods that promote emotional safety, address unconscious biases, and create, lead and retain an engaged community.

Led by world-class athletes and artists

The programme is led by Demi Alvanis, a calisthenics athlete, coach and community leader. Demi began calisthenics at 14, competed internationally, became UK Vice National Champion in 2020, and later founded a nationwide community of students bonded by the sport. He believes that everyone who takes part in an emerging discipline carries an internal curiosity that can lead to a profound sense of higher fulfilment.

Alongside Demi, the Bar Park works with world-class athletes, artists, specialist facilitators and touring companies. Upswing have delivered specialist stunt and acrobatics workshops alongside filmmaking and content creation workshops. Concrete Narratives brought photography workshops exploring different types of photography, culminating in a public exhibition that transformed the space into a gallery—showcasing participants' pieces and their perceptions and representations of the Bar Park.

What the space offers

The Bar Park hosts a growing mix of activity, from technical disciplines such as calisthenics, boxing, parkour, pilates and acrobatics, to creative practices like breaking, dance pole, aerial and calisthenics freestyle/flow. Regular calisthenics and female boxing sessions sit alongside specialist workshops, creative programmes and community practice sessions. Emphasis is placed on skill exchange and mutual development, fostering a culture of learning and support across disciplines.

A hub for the future

Gloucester Bar Park is a youth and community-led cultural hub where young people and facilitators thrive, build meaningful connections across disciplines and shape the space together. It is a free resource for the community—a place to train, create, perform, exhibit, connect and belong.

Come for the community. Stay because you're part of it.