On 15th July 2021, Market Hall opened its doors to the public for the very first time. Five years later, it has become one of Plymouth's most exciting cultural destinations, home to Europe's first immersive dome of its kind, a thriving creative technology hub, and a cornerstone of the growing Devonport Creative Quarter.
From world-class immersive experiences and festivals to school programmes, creative skills development and community projects, Market Hall has welcomed more than 100,000 visitors and supported thousands of people to explore, learn, create and connect.
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A Vision Takes Shape
The story began long before opening day. In 2019 and 2020, work was underway to transform the historic Grade II listed Market Hall building into a pioneering centre for creativity and technology.
During this development phase:
- £128,000 was secured through the Arts Council Cultural Development Fund
- £50,000 was awarded through the Urban Innovation Action Fund
- 10,586 unique visitors explored the project online
- 3 new jobs were created
- 199 local residents attended exclusive community open days for an early look inside the building
The ambition was bold: create a state-of-the-art immersive facility that would place Devonport at the forefront of creative technology.
2021: Opening the Doors
Despite the challenges of COVID-19 and rising construction costs, Market Hall officially opened on 15 July 2021.
Key milestones included:
- £397,000 secured through the Arts Council Covid Response Fund
- 462 people attended the community launch and open day
- 279 guests attended the VIP launch
- 28 screenings, workshops and events delivered in the first month alone
- 2,165 attendees welcomed during that first month
- 70 Devonport residents accessed the local 60% discount scheme
Through the wider pre-opening Market Hall Immersive programme:
- 61 businesses received support
- 7.5 full-time equivalent jobs were created
- 1,540 visits were made to Market Hall activities
- 789 community members engaged through exhibitions and webinars
- 62 people achieved Level 2 digital skills qualifications
Year One (2021–2022): Building Momentum
The first full year of operation saw Market Hall establish itself as a destination for immersive experiences, education and innovation.
Highlights included:
- 13,813 visits to Market Hall
- 631 screenings, workshops and events delivered
- Approximately 9,800 attendees at dome screenings
- 8 new full-time jobs created and sustained
- 14 businesses supported
- 807 schoolchildren engaged with immersive learning
- 47 teachers supported through training and digital development
- 237 community members engaged through exhibitions and webinars
The venue also hosted:
- Fulldome UK Festival, attracting 145 visitors over three days
- Six major business development conferences in Devonport
- Illuminate Festival activities involving schools from Plymouth, Cornwall and Devon
A £20,000 Rank Foundation Golden Award enabled the launch of Sensory Sundays, creating immersive experiences for young people with complex learning needs.
A university cluster was also established with Plymouth, Exeter and Falmouth universities to help grow the immersive sector across the South West.
Year Two (2022–2023): Expanding Reach
Market Hall's second full year saw significant growth across public engagement, education and skills.
Key achievements:
- 12,538 tickets sold across 956 dome screenings
- 43 workshops, courses and clubs delivered
- 1,013 children from 30 schools visited the immersive facilities
- 225 young people participated in the Your Future Is Immersive careers programme
- 65 teachers received immersive technology training
- 12 participants completed the Women in Immersive Tech leadership programme
- 606 visitors attended the Immerse/FDUK Fulldome Festival
Investment also continued, with:
- £59,359 invested in technical capability and content development
- New environmental content engaging 1,931 visitors through Green Minds activities
School visits more than doubled from 18 to 41 visits in a single year.
Year Three (2023–2024): Deepening Impact
As audiences grew, so did Market Hall's role in learning, wellbeing and creative development.
Highlights included:
- 12,458 attendees across 346 dome screenings
- Average screening attendance increased by 29%
- Capacity utilisation rose from 41% to 51%
- 23% of visitors returned for repeat experiences
Community engagement included:
- 344 regular participants in wellbeing activities
- 148 people reached through local outreach programmes
- 78 people developing practical creative and digital skills
- 7 people completing in-depth digital development courses
Partnerships flourished:
- 50+ organisations engaged across education, community, public and private sectors
- 14 organisations became regular users of Market Hall
- 7 strategic partnerships were established
Education continued to grow:
- 63 school and group visits
- A 250% increase compared to the first operational year
Notable developments included:
- Launch of the MA in Immersive Media with Arts University Plymouth
- Creation of the Devonport Futures and Digital Futures programmes
- Delivery of the eXtRaordinary Festival
- Securing funding for the Devonport 200 Heritage Lottery project
Year Four (2024–2025): A Record-Breaking Year
Year Four marked unprecedented growth and national recognition.
During this period:
- 43,465 people engaged with Market Hall activities
- 14,417 ticketed visitors attended dome experiences and wellness sessions
- 798 people participated directly in learning, creative and wellbeing programmes
Skills development remained a key focus:
- 257 participants attended technical workshops
- 151 in 360 filmmaking
- 30 in projection mapping
- 50 in spatial audio
- 14 in Unreal Engine 5
The impact on individuals was remarkable:
- 43 life-changing outcomes achieved through employment, freelance careers or progression into further study
- 21 participants demonstrated increased agency and leadership
- 3 young people progressed directly into content production roles
Dazzle Festival Success
The standout achievement was Dazzle Festival:
- 22,131 direct attendees
- Nearly 40,000 total engagements
- 80% above forecast
- 85% positive social engagement
The festival helped secure £246,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund to support future cultural development.
Year Five (2025–2026): Reaching New Heights
Year Five has already delivered some of the most ambitious projects in Market Hall's history.
Major Exhibitions and Events
- Helios – 8,000 visitors
- The Longest Yarn – 6,000+ visitors
- How to Bury the Giant – 1,900 visitors
- Native Makers Market
- November: 74 stallholders and 2,500+ visitors
- May: 50+ stallholders and 900+ visitors
Our Story with David Attenborough
On 8 May 2026, Sir David Attenborough's 100th birthday, Market Hall became:
- One of only three immersive domes worldwide to premiere Our Story with David Attenborough
- The holder of exclusive UK rights through Summer 2026
The show has already sold:
- 5,900+ tickets
New Creative Content
Original and co-produced productions premiered, including:
- Antarctica (with the University of Plymouth)
- A World and More
- Night Bloom
- And Breathe
Education and Innovation
Education partnerships continued to thrive:
- Fourth consecutive year working with Fountain Head House School
- Expanded Mayflower Academy filmmaking project
- Launch of the What If...? pilot programme in Cornwall schools
Strategic partnerships expanded through:
- Createch Cornwall
- Theatre Royal Plymouth (TR2)
- Creative UK
- University collaborations
Accessibility also improved through the introduction of Includiverse subtitling glasses, making dome experiences more accessible than ever before.
Looking to the Future
Over the past five years, Market Hall has grown from an ambitious regeneration project into a nationally recognised centre for immersive technology, creativity and community engagement.
Major milestones have included:
- Opening Europe's first immersive dome of its kind
- Launching the MA in Immersive Media
- Establishing the Devonport Creative Quarter
- Securing major investment through Arts Council England and the Heritage Lottery Fund
- Launching strategic partnerships with leading organisations including Theatre Royal Plymouth and the University of Plymouth
- Premiering Our Story with David Attenborough as one of only three venues worldwide
The next chapter is already underway, with new partnerships, creative projects, educational programmes and opportunities emerging across Devonport and beyond.
Five years on, Market Hall continues to prove what's possible when creativity, technology and community come together.
