Five Years On: The Box celebrates its fifth anniversary and outlines its impact
29 September 2025
To mark The Box's fifth anniversary, we are proud to release the results of a new report which outlines the impact the venue has had since it welcomed its first visitors on 29 September 2020.
The Box has emerged as a significant force in the UK's cultural landscape, generating a £244 million economic footprint while forging partnerships with premier national institutions including the National Gallery, National Portrait Gallery, and the V&A since opening in autumn 2020.
An independent impact assessment published today (29 September 2025) reveals how the Devon-based museum, art gallery and archive has become an integral part of the city and South West England. It is a vibrant and trusted community space and a nationally recognised institution that has transformed Plymouth's cultural standing by delivering measurable social and economic benefits during one of the most challenging periods in recent cultural history.
Luke Pollard, Minister of State (Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry) said:
The Box exemplifies Plymouth's transformation into a cultural powerhouse that commands national respect while serving our local community with distinction. In just five years, this institution has generated nearly a quarter of a billion pounds in economic impact, delivered over £100 million in health benefits, and positioned Plymouth alongside Britain's premiere cultural destinations. As Minister for Defence and MP for Plymouth, I've seen first-hand how The Box has become a beacon of what's possible when we invest boldly in culture and creativity. It's not just preserving our maritime heritage – it's writing the next chapter of Plymouth's story as a city that punches above its weight on the national stage while remaining a place where every local family can access world-class culture for free.
Tudor Evans, Leader of Plymouth City Council said:
Five years ago, we made a bold decision to invest in culture when many cities were cutting back. Today, The Box stands as proof that Plymouth refuses to accept second-best. This isn't just about impressive statistics, though a £244 million economic impact speaks volumes, it's about transforming how the world sees Plymouth and how we see ourselves. The Box has given our city permission to dream bigger, to compete with London and Manchester on the cultural stage while never forgetting that our strength comes from serving local families who can walk through those doors for free every single day. We've created something that's authentically Plymouth yet commands international respect. That's the Plymouth way, rooted in our community, reaching for the stars.
The Box's recent collaboration with the National Gallery positioned Plymouth as one of only four UK cities selected for the Gallery's landmark 200th anniversary celebrations. Turner Prize-winner Jeremy Deller's Hello Sailor at Tinside Lido placed Plymouth alongside Llandudno, Derry/Londonderry, and Dundee with elements also featuring in the Gallery’s The Triumph of Art culmination event in Whitehall and Trafalgar Square.
Major exhibitions include Arcadia, a new multi-screen film by artist by John Akomfrah which was commissioned by and premiered at The Box in 2023, Reframing Reynolds: A Celebration to mark the 300th birth anniversary of Sir Joshua Reynolds which featured three new works by artist Rana Begum, and Running and Returning, a major survey show that explores the rich, three-decade career of British artist Jyll Bradley currently on view until 2 November.
The upcoming 2026 partnership, Journeys with Mai, with the National Portrait Gallery will bring Sir Joshua Reynolds' Portrait of Mai (Omai) to Plymouth, typically reserved for major metropolitan museums and demonstrating The Box's emergence as a destination of international cultural significance. Additional partnerships with Tate, the V&A's Design Lab Nation programme, and the British Council have established the venue as a serious player in the national cultural conversation.
A major retrospective to celebrate Beryl Cook in her centenary year will open in January 2026 and will reposition the artist's contribution to British art history and showcase more than 80 of her original and instantly recognisable paintings.
Sir Nicholas Serota, Chair, Arts Council England said:
The Box is unique and without it the artistic ecology for the whole of the South West would be vastly different. Artists from South West art schools can use its collections and not have to go to London to see exhibitions of the quality The Box shows. The welcome is warm, and The Box makes a big effort to reach new audiences. The Box is now one of the significant regional institutions, creating and receiving exhibitions and showing substantial collections, sitting alongside The Whitworth, Laing Art Gallery, Walker Art Gallery and Manchester City Art Gallery, making Plymouth’s offer truly distinctive.
The comprehensive assessment by Counterculture LLP documents extraordinary achievements in several categories including the number of visits; economic impact and health and wellbeing:
Visits and visitors
• 56% of visitors are residents of Plymouth
• 72,000 visits by international visitors
• As part of over 1,000 visits from schools across Plymouth, Devon, Cornwall and beyond, the Box has welcomed more than 40,000 school children
Economic impact
• £28m contribution to the Plymouth economy by visitors to The Box
• 72% of all The Box’s spending goes to suppliers based within the South West (and 100% to suppliers based in the UK)
• Over 100,000 hours of volunteering has taken place at The Box since 2020 with an estimated economic value of £1.1m
Health and wellbeing
• £43m in estimated benefits from reduced incidence of depression and dementia among adults aged 50 and over 14
• £49m in estimated benefits from improved general health among adults aged 30-49, including improved quality of life and increased productivity from engagement with The Box
• Impacted the lives of young people with around 250,000 visits to date by people aged under 25
The Box has reached 750 school groups representing 89% of Plymouth schools, while 13% of visitors report their first-ever cultural experience at the institution. A "Ballet at The Box" collaboration with Theatre Royal Plymouth and Birmingham Royal Ballet in February 2025 attracted 2,225 visitors – the venue's busiest day since October 2023.
Victoria Pomery, Chief Executive Officer of The Box, said:
These partnerships demonstrate what happens when institutions commit to excellence. We've shown that world-class cultural programming can thrive outside London while remaining deeply rooted in community.
Phil Gibby, Director South West, Arts Council England, commented:
The Box encapsulates the step change in cultural ambition from key Plymouth stakeholders. It is exemplary and has added critical mass to the South West map at a nationally significant level.
There is a growing body of evidence of the links between cultural and heritage engagement and health and wellbeing. A series of studies have shown that sustained, regular engagement by adults (as audiences or participants) in a variety of cultural activities can lead to improvements in physical and mental health. The Box has delivered over £100 million in health benefits, including £52 million in general health improvements for adults aged 30-49 and £46 million in reduced depression and dementia incidence for visitors over 50.
The institution has generated over 100k volunteer hours’ worth £1.1 million, while supporting 62 full-time equivalent jobs as a Real Living Wage employer.
With 72% of capital investment supporting South West suppliers and 56% of revenue expenditure benefiting Plymouth-based businesses, The Box demonstrates how cultural institutions can drive regional economic development while achieving national recognition. In that time Plymouth has built on its reputation as Britain’s Ocean City, with one of the finest heritage pedigrees, unrivalled natural assets and a vibrant, thriving culture.