PLYMOUTH LAUREATE OF WORDS
In December 2020, after an open call and a public vote, Plymouth-based playwright Laura Horton was appointed as Plymouth Laureate of Words 2021-22.
As part of a creative partnership between Literature Works, Plymouth Culture and The Box, Laura will engage with a number of written and performance based commissions presented to her by various organisations across the city.
She will also be running a series of public events and working with schools in the city to share the stories at the heart of Plymouth’s communities.
Laura was presented her first commission by the Lord Mayor of Plymouth’s Office in December 2020. She was inspired by an image from 1940 featured in a Plymouth Herald article, which shows Plymouth in the aftermath of one of a series of aerial attacks by the Luftwaffe.
Find out more about her creative process and read her short story ‘Roll out Plymouth’ – which responds to the brief: ‘Caring and supporting one another: exploring how the community of Plymouth comes together’ – below.
Laura’s piece reflects the city’s nature of ‘coming together’ at times of adversity, demonstrated eighty years ago when the city was under siege and again in present day, when the city will commemorate the eightieth anniversary of the Blitz in Plymouth, during special events in March and April. Watch this space to find out more about when you might see Laura reading piece.
Laura writes: “When I found this image (scroll to ‘After the bombs, sing song!’) of Plymouth residents singing around a piano in aftermath of an air raid, I knew I wanted to write about it. It encapsulates for me the spirit of togetherness and the power of the arts to create moments of hope when the world feels hopeless.”
