Culture of Plymouth facts for kids
The culture of Plymouth is all about the fun and interesting things to do in the city of Plymouth, located in the south-west of England. For a long time, Union Street was a very important part of Plymouth's culture. It was known as "the servicemen's playground" because sailors from the Royal Navy would go there for entertainment. In the 1930s, it had many pubs and even famous performers like Charlie Chaplin visited the New Palace Theatre. Today, it's still a lively place for evening entertainment.
Plymouth also hosts many outdoor events and festivals. One big event is the annual British Firework Championships in August. This amazing show brings thousands of people to the waterfront to watch incredible fireworks. In 2006, a world record for the most fireworks set off at once was broken over Plymouth Sound! Since 1992, the "Music of the Night" show has been held at the Royal Citadel. It features the 29 Commando Regiment and local performers, raising money for charities.
In 2009, an organization called Plymouth Culture was created. Its job is to help guide and grow cultural activities across the city. Many groups in Plymouth get funding from Arts Council England to support their cultural work. These include:
- The Box, Plymouth
- Barbican Theatre, Plymouth
- KARST
- Literature Works
- Plymouth Culture
- Plymouth Music Zone
- Real Ideas Organisation
- Take A Part CIC
- Theatre Royal Plymouth
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Entertainment in Plymouth
Plymouth offers many exciting places for entertainment, from live shows to movies and music.
Theatres and Live Shows
Plymouth has several theatres and performance spaces. You can find professional shows, community plays, and amateur performances. The main professional theatres are usually in the city centre.
The Theatre Royal Plymouth is a major theatre that creates its own shows. It has three stages: The Lyric (a large stage with over 1300 seats), The Drum (a smaller stage with about 200 seats), and The Lab (a very small stage with about 50 seats). They also have a special building called TR2 where they create productions and run educational programs.
The Barbican Theatre is in a converted old building. It hosts live dance, theatre, music, and comedy shows. The University of Plymouth has "The House," a modern performance venue with 200 seats. They also use lecture halls in the Roland Levinsky Building for performances. The Plymouth Athenaeum has a 332-seat theatre that reopened for public use in 2016.
Outside the city centre, you can find other venues. The Devonport Playhouse is often used by local community groups. The Soapbox Theatre puts on shows especially for children and young audiences. The Marjon Arts Centre is located at Plymouth Marjon University.
Sometimes, special theatrical performances happen all over the city in public spaces. For example, "The Hatchling" was a world premiere event. It featured a huge dragon puppet that woke up in the city and then flew from Plymouth Hoe! The annual Plymouth Fringe Festival also brings many exciting performances.
Movies and Music
Plymouth has two large multi-screen cinemas. You can find Vue cinema at the Barbican Leisure Park. There is also a Cineworld at The Barcode, Drake Circus.
For different kinds of films, there are independent cinemas. Plymouth Arts Cinema (which used to be Plymouth Arts Centre) shows special art house and foreign films. It is located at Plymouth College of Art. At the University of Plymouth, the Jill Craigie Cinema shows older films, movies from around the world, and hosts talks about specific films.
The Plymouth Pavilions is a big venue that hosts many music concerts. You can see everything from rock and pop bands to ballet performances. It also hosts sports like basketball and wrestling.
Museums, Art Galleries, and Historic Places
The Box opened in 2020. It took the place of the Plymouth City Museum and Art Gallery. The Box has many different exhibitions and collections. You can see beautiful art, learn about natural history, and explore human history.
The Arts Institute is part of the University of Plymouth. It has a gallery on the university campus. They offer public art programs with exhibitions, art installations, performances, films, and talks. These are open to both students and the general public.
KARST is one of the largest independent art galleries in the South West of England. It is run by artists and is located in the Stonehouse area of Plymouth.
Ocean Studios opened in 2015 at the Royal William Yard. It is an independent gallery and a shared workspace for artists. It is currently run by Real Ideas. This group also runs the Market Hall in Devonport. The Market Hall has a 15-meter immersive dome, which is the first of its kind in Europe!
You can also find smaller art galleries in the Barbican, like Kaya Gallery.
Other interesting places in Plymouth include the Plymouth and West Devon Record Office, Smeaton's Tower, the Elizabethan House, and Merchants House in The Barbican. Plymouth is also home to the National Marine Aquarium, where you can see amazing sea creatures. The Plymouth Synagogue, built in 1762, is on Catherine Street.
The Plymouth Naval Base Museum is a new maritime museum being developed at HMNB Devonport.
Nightlife and Evening Fun
Union Street has been a popular spot for evening entertainment in Plymouth for over a hundred years. In the past, it was full of music halls and cinemas. Today, it still has many bars, clubs, and casinos. You can find places that play different kinds of music. Other clubs and bars are located at the Barbican Leisure Park and on Lockyer Street. There are also many bars that feature live music. Areas like Mutley Plain and North Hill are popular with students and have many lively bars.
Media and News
Plymouth is an important centre for television and radio in the South West. BBC South West has its sub-regional television centre here. A team of journalists for the ITV West Country regional station are also based in Plymouth.
The main local radio stations include BBC Radio Devon, BBC Radio Cornwall, Heart West, and Pirate FM.
The main regional newspaper is the Western Morning News. The local city paper, from the same publisher, is the Plymouth Herald.
Hospital Radio Plymouth is a special radio station just for patients in the city's hospitals. It broadcasts to Derriford Hospital and The Royal Eye Infirmary.
