2021's summer events programme is filled with art, film and fun

2021's summer events programme is filled with art, film and fun

1 July 2021

Our first-ever summer events programme is packed with a wide variety of activities inspired by our exhibitions, collections and contemporary art commissions.

Events begin on 3 July with a series of ‘A Closer Look’ talks that offer an insight into the contemporary art and exhibition programme – from the beautiful fused glass window in St Luke’s church by Portuguese artist Leonor Antunes to the paintings, prints and watercolours in the ‘Our Art’ gallery. The talks are free with no need to book and can be enjoyed as part of a wider visit to The Box.

The programme then moves outside to Tavistock Place with the unveiling of a new temporary public artwork by international artist Camille Walala. ‘Putting Things In Perspective’ is a vibrant installation that will bring colour and fun to the city’s newest public square from 15 July until 5 September.

On 16 and 17 July, Made by Katie Green brings her innovative take on dance and performance to Tavistock Place. The ‘Imagination Museum: Mayflower 400’ explores the story of the passengers who sailed on from England to the USA aboard the Mayflower 400 years ago. Free 30-minute performances will take place on both dates at 11am, 1pm and 3pm.

An exciting series of outdoor film screenings commences on 22 July. A pop-up screen on the side of St Luke’s church will host a range of free, non-bookable family-friendly films including ‘Ice Age’ and ‘Night at the Museum’. It will also screen a number of Hollywood movies on selected evenings starring descendants of the Mayflower including ‘1917’ and ‘Mamma Mia!’. Standard (£12) and VIP (£15) tickets for these evening screenings are now available to book via The Box’s website. Plymouth Arts Cinema will also take over the screen on 29-31 July as part of its popular Open Air Cinema.

A fun series of family-friendly activities starts on 27 July and runs on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays until 4 September. The drop-in activities will take their inspiration from a different gallery or collection each week including the Bronze Age, Ancient Egypt, insects and archives. The sessions are free and visitors can drop in to them while they’re visiting The Box.

A visitor looking at the Wampum exhibition at The Box, Plymouth

The summer is also the last chance to see the ‘Wampum: Stories from the Shells of Native America’ exhibition (closes 11 July) and ‘Our Art’ exhibition (closes 30 August), as well as works by Alexandre da Cunha (on display until 22 August) and Leonor Antunes (on display until 30 August). A new exhibition centred on 14 portraits from the city’s fine art collections, ‘Family & Friends: Reynolds at Port Eliot’ opens on 24 July.

Councillor Mark Deacon, Cabinet Member for Customer Services, Culture, Leisure and Sport said:

This is a great summer programme that offers something for people of all ages and interests from curator-led talks to family arts and crafts, and Ancient Egypt to cutting-edge contemporary art. After living through such a challenging year everyone is looking forward to better times. These events will ensure that summer at The Box is both fascinating and fun.

Tickets to visit The Box and any bookable events can be reserved via this website. They can also be booked on arrival at the Welcome Desk (subject to availability).

You can find out more information about our programme in our new Summer events section.

The full summer programme listing is:

July 2021

August 2021