The Box announced reopening date and programme for 2021
The Box has already welcomed 30,000 visitors, despite being open for just nine weeks
It's been confirmed Plymouth's newest cultural attraction, The Box, is reopening on Tuesday 18th May.
So far, it's welcomed more than 30,000 visitors, despite being open for a total of just nine weeks.
New to The Box in 2021:
WAMPUM: STORIES FROM THE SHELLS OF NATIVE AMERICA: A new exhibition featuring a wampum belt created by more than 100 Wampanoag craftspeople living in tribal Massachusetts today alongside seven historic wampum belts on loan from the British Museum and Saffron Waldon Museum.
THE SECOND PEIRCE PATENT: The oldest existing state document of New England giving the Mayflower passengers permission from the King James to settle America, takes its place within The Box's Mayflower 400: Legend and Legacy exhibition alongside a large collection of new artefacts from overseas.
SIR JOSHUA REYNOLDS AND THE PORT ELLIOT COLLECTION: A collection of rarely seen paintings by the leading portrait painters of the 18th century including Plymouth born Sir Joshua Reynolds, George Romney and Thomas Lawrence
THE BOX KITCHEN & BAR: Reopening in May, the restaurant at The Box is run by Executive Chef Nat Tallents, soon to be starring in the new series of The Great British Menu on BBC Two. New for 2021, THE LITTLE BOX, is an aluminium and glass café situated just outside The Box on Tavistock Place.
ELIZABETHAN HOUSE: A major new attraction for the city, this Grade II listed historic building has been transformed in a six year, multi-million pound restoration. Visitors are taken on an immersive, multi-sensory journey through Plymouth's history by the house and her inhabitants.
SMEATONS TOWER: The centrepiece of Plymouth Hoe. Standing at 72 feet and looking out to sea, the iconic red and white lighthouse has become one of the South West's most famous landmarks.
SEPTEMBER BLOCKBUSTER EXHIBITION: An international contemporary art exhibition opening on September 25th. A must-see show that will draw visitors from across the country. Details to be announced mid-June.
As well as all of the above, The Box will re-open with its full launch programme of nine permanent exhibitions, showcasing Plymouth's rich heritage and underlining The Box's standing as a museum, gallery and archive of national importance. They include:
THE FIGUREHEADS: A magnificent display of 14 monumental ships' figureheads
100 JOURNEYS: Great explorers and their discoveries, from Drake to Scott and beyond
MAMMOTH: Natural history collections including 1000 pickled marine creatures & a mammoth
OUR ART: From Reynolds to Lenkiewicz, a showcase of Plymouth's best loved native artists
PORT OF PLYMOUTH: A celebration of Plymouth's naval and maritime heritage
COTTONIAN COLLECTION: Illuminated manuscripts, Old Master drawings and fine art
MEDIA LAB: An interactive room featuring the UK's largest regional film and television archive
PHOTO ALBUM: A display of memories and photographs from Plymouth's past
ACTIVE ARCHIVES: Public access to The Box's extensive archive of fascinating documents
Safe social distancing measures will be in place at all of The Box's buildings, with visitors being asked to book tickets in advance until Government advice changes.
All exhibitions are free of charge to visit except for 'Mayflower 400: Legend and Legacy'. Tickets will be available from The Box website: https://www.theboxplymouth.com, from mid April.
The Box is a significant part of Plymouth's 'Resurgam' programme, as one of the transformational projects that will symbolise recovery and set the direction for positive change in the local economy and life in the city as it emerges from the Covid-19 pandemic. Plymouth City Council has already distributed over £42million to support over 3500 city businesses since the start of the pandemic.
Tudor Evans OBE, Leader of Plymouth City Council, said: "This is such an exciting moment for the city and it's fantastic to finally be able to announce these dates. We've already welcomed more than 30,000 visitors in the short time we've been able to open, and the feedback has been amazing. I hope everyone is as proud and excited as I am and can't wait for the doors to reopen. In our post-lockdown world, The Box is a place where people can reconnect with each other, as well as Plymouth's history and its bright future."
Paul Brookes, Interim CEO of The Box said: "We're thrilled that we've been able to move the dates of our exhibition programme without making any fundamental changes to our vision and with a reduced visitor capacity on site for at least the first few weeks, visitors can enjoy an amazing, almost private-view level experience."