Drake Circus to host pop-up museum

Shoppers at Drake Circus will be treated to a pop-up museum for a chance to stock up on some interesting local history and culture in between bargain hunting during this half-term break.

Plymouth City Museum and Art Gallery is teaming up with the Plymouth and West Devon Record Office, South West Film & Television Archive (SWFTA) and the South West Image Bank (SWIB) to provide a pop-up exhibition and discovery stand in the Mall. Passers-by can take a sneak peek at just some of the fantastic collections and ideas that will form part of the city’s new ‘History Centre’.

The pop-up museum will be in the atrium (outside Starbucks and Primark) from 10am until 4pm on Saturday 26, Sunday 27, Monday 28 and Tuesday 29 October and will feature some fun family activities, as well as some truly fascinating tales for those curious about Plymouth’s history.

As well as some stunning photography and other intriguing pieces courtesy of SWFTA and SWIB, key partners in the History Centre, rumour has it that local superstar Gus Honeybun may put in a not-to-be-missed appearance.

Visitors to the stand will also be able to offer suggestions about what they think should be included in the new £21M historic and cultural attraction currently being developed.

The History Centre (not its agreed name) will be a major new visitor attraction located on the current site of the City Museum and Central Library on North Hill. However, it will be increased in size by three times, spaces will be modernised and installed with the latest technology to create a truly exciting and interactive experiences for visitors, with never-before-seen collections, artefacts and art.

It will be a cutting-edge, multi-media centre that will tell the stories of some of Plymouth’s heroes and legends such as Drake, Darwin and Scott. But it will also reveal how Plymouth has shaped the modern world today, with interesting products and stories.

Councillor Peter Smith, Deputy Leader of the Council, said: “This is a really great chance for people who have never visited our City Museum or seen any of Plymouth’s unique collections, to have a look and get excited about our local history and culture. Plymouth has some really fantastic stories to tell and we’re not going to be shy about sharing them.

“The pop-up museum will be family-friendly – there will be plenty for children to do and plenty to keep adults amused too. And while people are there, they can tell us what they’d like to see in our new History Centre – it is no-holes barred ideas time. We want different, outrageous ideas, but they must truly be about Plymouth’s people and history. We’ll use these ideas to inspire and create a History Centre the city can be proud of.”

Anyone interested in finding out more about the developing History Centre plans can visit the new webpages www.plymouth.gov.uk/historycentre which include some key dates for your diaries, an online survey and an overview of what the History Centre is all about.