Skaters to help reimagine city centre

More than £100,000 has been awarded to Plymouth to help reimagine our city centre through community-led cultural activities and a ‘summer of culture on the high street’.

The cash grant will be used over three years – starting with a project this summer working with the local skating community to design inspiring and striking artwork that will reflect how skating has long been a cultural staple of the city centre.

It will also be used to help bring empty shops back to life with artistic projects and bring new public art to the city centre through conversations with communities about what artworks Plymouth should celebrate.

The money has been given to Plymouth Culture, the organisation which leads on cultural activity and supports the sector in the city. It was awarded by Historic England as part of the Plymouth High Streets Heritage Action Zone (HSHAZ).

Plymouth is one of more than 60 high streets to receive a share of £6 million for its cultural programme, to be used from now until March 2024.

The cultural programme in Plymouth has three strands: activation, vacancy spaces and public art.

Activation will involve using creative and cultural activities to help bring spaces in our historic city centre to life. These spaces include buildings, streets and the in-between places that provide opportunities for cultural encounters.

The activities will use both traditional and digital technologies and will involve lots of different art forms to revitalise the area.