It’s fun, it’s family friendly, and it’s free! Plymouth’s world class visitor attraction, The Box, is jam packed with fabulous events and displays to sample this Easter and Spring, with plenty of hands-on activities linked to ongoing exhibitions to keep the children happy. #Advertisment
The Box Plymouth – in Tavistock Place near Drake’s Circus – is open every day throughout the Easter weekend, with no tickets needed. Here are just a few of the highlights from the Easter and Spring programme, and a look, too, at some of the other amazing ‘must see’ exhibits to take in while you’re there.
‘Long ago when tigers smoked’ is the stunning solo exhibition of Canadian artist Zadie Xa and you can catch it until 5 June. Xa’s exhibition of textile paintings and sculptures is inspired by historic objects in The Box’s collections. Running alongside the exhibition up until Easter Saturday, is the ‘Amazing Animal Puppets’ event where you can create your own puppets using a range of craft materials. Sessions are 10:30am -12:30pm and 1:30pm – 3:30pm. No need to book, just turn up.
The Box is also using its ‘Breaking the Mould: Sculpture by Women since 1945’ exhibition as inspiration for some of its family-friendly activities. ‘Breaking the Mould’, on until 5 June, is an Arts Council Collection touring exhibition that showcases the diverse work of over 40 sculptors, including Barbara Hepworth, Rachel Whiteread, and Elisabeth Frink. From 18-23 April, visitors can have a go at making soap sculptures at the ‘Fabulous Forms’ event. Times are 10:30am -12:30pm and 1:30pm – 3:30pm.
To celebrate World Earth Day 2022 on Friday 22 April, The Box has joined forces with local conservation group Pollenize CIC to hold a mass seed sowing session on Tavistock Place from 11am to 3pm. Children will be able to make their own newspaper pot which they will then fill with compost and seeds to take home with them. Children who have been given Pollenize seeds at their schools are encouraged to take them along; if not, seeds will be available on the day. This event is free, but places are limited.
Other eye-catching exhibitions at The Box this spring place the focus on Plymouth – the place, the people and the past. Among them is ‘Another Crossing – Artists Revisit the Mayflower Voyage’. Featuring 10 artists from four nations, this exhibition is part of the Mayflower 400 commemorations. The extraordinary element of this exhibition is that each of the artists created their pieces using only tools, materials and processes that were available in 1620. The exhibition is on until 5 June.
‘Where Am I?’ has been co-curated with the recently formed Culture Club, in partnership with Pride in Plymouth. Culture Club is a group drawn from the city’s artistic community that identifies as LGBTQ+ who came together ‘virtually’ during lockdown in 2021. The exhibition explores their lived experiences using images, artworks, and archival material. It runs until 23 June.
Love a nice frock? Then check out the venue’s first ever exhibition dedicated to fashion. ‘Dress Code – Fashion Stories From the Box’ features costume, textiles and more dating from the 1700s to the present day, and some are pretty spectacular! Until 4 September.
As well as the special exhibitions, The Box is also full of amazing things to see in its permanent galleries – including its most famous resident, Mildred the Woolly Mammoth. Mildred takes centre stage, literally, in the Mammoth Gallery, where there are over 3,000 natural history specimens on show, some dating back tens of thousands of years.
There are inside and outside cafés for a snack and a drink, and the building is accessible by wheelchair, mobility scooter, buggies, and prams. The official website has all the information you need to maximise your visit to The Box.
www.theboxplymouth.com
www.facebook.com/theboxplymouth
Written by Laura Joint on behalf of #OnePlymouth
