Walk this way to city centre for drama, selfies, top tunes and long-lost portraits

Tales of courage, fabulous selfie walls and lost art are helping to bring Plymouth’s history and the city centre to life this month.

A series of plays, stunning murals as well as a chance to celebrate one of the city’s forgotten artists are all happening soon, thanks to the High Street Sparks grant from the High Street Heritage Action Zone initiative, funded by Plymouth City Council and Historic England and supported by the Plymouth City Centre Company.

Storyteller Katy Cawkwell has created three shows that are short in length but mighty in subject matter.

• Endurance tells the story of Ernest Shackleton’s Antarctic expedition that set sail from Plymouth on the eve of World War One in 1914. This year marks the centenary of his death, the wreck of the Endurance has recently been discovered and the show pays tribute to this inspiring tale of survival against all the odds.
• Resilience conjures up Plymouth in the Blitz with a performance that draws on a poem of a woman who lost her husband in 1940.
• Emergence tells the legend of the phoenix and invites people to remember the rebuilding of the city centre after the war and the fact Armada Way was originally to be called Phoenix Way as Plymouth rose from the ashes.

Five performances run each day from Tuesday 21 to Friday 24 June. Shows at 12pm, 1pm and 2pm will be aimed at adults, while those taking place at 3.40pm and 4.20pm will be slightly adapted for an after-school family audience.

The performances will be in Frankfort Gate, Old George Street (near the ‘Messenger’ sculpture) and north of the Sundial on Armada Way. A schedule and map can be found at www.artemis-storytelling.co.uk/Plymouth. All performances are free with no need to book.

On Saturday 18 June, the Barbican Theatre will present Walk This Way on the Piazza. A real treat for the eyes and ears, they promise a slice of nostalgia with a live show full of the 80s, 90s and 00s.

Expect punk rock catwalks, parkour, voguers, roller disco, breaking, skateboard stunts, and stories of our city, from the perspectives of the millennials!

Walk This Way brings together professional artists with schools, community groups and local organisations for an entertaining, energetic afternoon of performances, including some pop up mini shows around the city centre. It’s free, suitable for all ages and performances take place at 2pm, 3pm and 4pm.

On the fifth floor of the House of Fraser there’s a chance to gaze at the magnificent picture of Lady Jane Grey at the Place of Her Execution, by Plymouth artist Solomon Alexander Hart – the first Jewish member of the Royal Academy of Arts in 1840.

The reproduction measures nearly two metres long (over six and half feet), but that’s still only a third of the size of the original canvas.

Last but not least, more portraits – but this time it’s for snap-happy selfie savvy folk to take a shot in front of a series of amazing selfie walls.

Five local winners have been chosen from over 250 entries to Plymouth’s Selfie Wall competition and their work is going up in the city centre.

The project aimed at showcasing women designers from PL1 to PL9 and was the brainchild of Plymouth-based creative entrepreneur Amber Leach, who wanted the project to empower Plymouth women of any background with a passion for art.

Winners were decided by a panel of judges in an anonymous judging event at The Box and the winners are Plymouth women from graphic design, professional as well as first time artists.

The winning artwork will be displayed on walls situated around Plymouth city centre including the Theatre Royal Plymouth, Sports Direct Plymouth, and Really Good Records.

City Centre manager Steve Hughes said: “These events are great for our shops and shoppers and bring a real buzz to the city centre. It’s fantastic to see the High Street Heritage Action Zone funding celebrate Plymouth’s past in a way that’s incredibly easy for people of all ages to enjoy.”