Programmes
Public Art
We believe that public art plays a critical role in the creation of vibrant and meaningful public spaces, and the development of well connected communities.
Plymouth’s Culture Plan (2020-2030) has an ambitious vision to put culture at the heart of Plymouth’s development.
Moving beyond traditional sculptural artworks, Plymouth supports a more expanded approach to public art, open to both permanent and temporary forms, that resonate with its residents and communities. By being physically present in our streets, parks, squares and coastlines, public art can spark vital conversations about the state of our society.
In 2017, the city redefined how it would go about supporting, commissioning, exploring and looking after public art, aiming to take a national lead in the public realm commissioning and to continue to build upon its long history of successful public art projects, platforming artists of local, national and international significance.
From 2022-2024 Plymouth Culture brought together a Public Art Steering Group (PASG) to test models of commissioning, create commissioning opportunities and refresh our core public art principles.
The steering group has created a model of collaboration that Plymouth Culture wishes to expand and sustain in order for Public Art to be embedded in the city’s development and regeneration plans. We continue to advocate for the role of art in the public realm and to campaign to bring forward more public art commissioning opportunities over the coming years.
The Public Art Steering Group’s work has resulted in the updating of our Public Art Principles and the publication of a Public Art Commissioning Toolkit with the help of arts consultant Josie Spencer.
Public Art Comissioning Toolkit
Providing a guide to good commissioning in the public realm for artists, producers, designers, architects, landscape designers, consultants and local authority planning officers.