What an incredible 5 years it's been...
It is hard to believe just how much has changed since we opened our doors on 15 July 2021. COVID restrictions were still in place, social distancing limited visitors to booked time slots and none of us could have imagined the profound economic and social upheaval it would cause.
It was a brilliant day. 200 members of the local community were the first people to experience the brand-new immersive dome. Colleagues, partners and friends came, including Sir Nicholas Serota, Chair of Arts Council England, who loved the "world class space” we had created. We were delighted.
So how did it all start? In 2014, Devonport was in the midst of a major housing regeneration scheme. Redrow, the developers of Vision Estate surrounding the Market Hall couldn’t find a solution for the derelict Grade 2 listed Market Hall and wanted to hand it over to Plymouth City Council. Following our successful renovation of the Grade 1 listed Devonport Guildhall and Column, could we help?
Looking back, it was a pivotal moment. The Devonport Guildhall was a busy social enterprise space supporting community groups, activities and events. We had been able to create some jobs – remember the Column Bakehouse – but we needed something to shift the dial. As an organisation, we have always been interested in creative technology. We celebrated the 100th anniversary of the three towns of Devonport, Stonehouse and Plymouth coming together in 2014 by projection mapping the Column. We worked with the Institute of Digital Technology at the University of Plymouth and introduced children and young people to digital opportunities.
Could the Market Hall be the moment to bring all this together and create Plymouth’s first creative technology hub? It was a big risk, but instinctively we felt the ingredients were all there. A fantastic building – despite pigeons, missing walls, water coming in from all directions. It was in Devonport, long a home for innovation in Plymouth. It was next to the largest naval base in Western Europe – we had no idea how far that would come. It built on the academic excellence of our universities; the creative industries were booming and there was plenty of creative energy that needed a home.
And so began a 7 year journey to raise the £7.6 million and transform the Market Hall into the space we have today and to build a state-of-the-art dome. Throughout, the support we received from partners, the local community and all our friends was amazing. Plymouth City Council played a key enabling role. They were clear from the start that they couldn’t fund the project, but they held risk for us, supported us in myriad ways to overcome challenges, championed what we and others were doing and highlighted potential opportunities. They were, and still are, a brilliant partner, as are Arts Council England and all our cultural and creative colleagues and partners. Perhaps even more importantly, the local community got behind the project. Rightly, there were plenty of questions – what is an immersive dome? Will there be opportunities for my children? And perhaps most importantly, whatever you do, do it really well. We are fed up with ‘good enough’.
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Like most things that are worth doing, it was often hard. Lots of things went wrong, costs kept going up, and Covid caused long delays. The snagging list was endless and there were times we doubted if we would ever open. In the end you have to take the plunge, open the doors and go for it.
5 years on, we can safely say it was worth it. The Market Hall is a beautiful space – as people tell us “it’s like London”, although I hope that one day the accolade will be “like Devonport”. We have built a European first, a state-of-the-art 360 immersive dome, and developed a creative technology hub.
Over the past 5 years we have welcomed 100,000+ people through our doors to make, watch and engage with immersive technologies. From new born babies to 100 year old centenarians; from international creatives to talented local children; from start-ups to big corporates; all contributing to the growth of a vibrant centre that has created jobs, supported people to develop skills and contributed to the local economy.
We have made new opportunities visible and created ways for a wide range of people to engage, particularly important in a community where so many jobs are ‘behind the dockyard wall’ and largely invisible.
As well as felt change, we have contributed to a significant statistical shift. In the 2010 Indices of Multiple Deprivation, the area of Devonport that includes the Market Hall and the Devonport Guildhall was in the bottom 1% most deprived in England. By 2025, it had moved to the bottom 20%. There is still a long way to go, but this measure shows that the economic and social fortunes of the area are improving.
Looking forward to the next 5 years, there are a raft of exciting prospects on the horizon. The Devonport Creative Quarter is beginning to take shape, deepening our partnerships with the universities, PCH and the local community. More creatives are moving into Devonport, especially now the Guildhall has artist studios and print facilities, and we part of conversations around the extraordinary opportunities coming to Devonport and the city.
Happy birthday Market Hall, here’s to the next 5 years!
