Looking Ahead

Forbidden Territories: 100 Years of Surreal Landscapes
24 May-7 September 2025
Forbidden Territories marks 100 years of ‘Surrealism’, since its origins in 1924 with the publication of the ‘Surrealist Manifesto’ by the poet and critic André Breton, exploring its influence and the way it continues to inspire today.

The exhibition, which is organised by The Hepworth Wakefield, brings together an array of British and international artists, taking you on a journey through the imagined universes, dreamlike scenes and bizarre features of Surrealism over the last century.

UK/Poland Season 2025
4 October–11 January 2026
From autumn 2025 to early 2026, The Box will participate in the UK/Poland Season 2025 organised by the British Council, the Adam Mickiewicz Institute and the Polish Cultural Institute in London.

The Season will work with diaspora communities, challenge national stereotypes and develop connections in both countries thanks to a multi-artform programme featuring more than 100 performances, exhibitions and public events. The Box is collaborating with the Center for Contemporary Art Łaźnia on two interlinked exhibitions that draw on the similarities and differences between the cities of Plymouth and Gdansk.

Journeys with Mai
14 February–14 June 2026
Sir Joshua Reynolds' Portrait of Mai, will journey to The Box as part of a major national partnership led by the National Portrait Gallery, and made possible by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Art Fund and other supporters. This historically significant painting will be displayed alongside a programme that explores Captain Cook's voyages and the colonial history of the South Pacific.

Grenfell
Autumn 2026
Grenfell by award-winning artist and filmmaker Steve McQueen will travel to The Box in autumn 2026. This unflinching 'critical exercise in remembrance' was filmed in December 2017 in response to the tragic fire that took place earlier that year on 14 June at Grenfell Tower. The national tour of Grenfell has been made possible with the support of the National Lottery through Arts Council England and from Art Fund. It has been organised in collaboration with Tate Liverpool, Tramway and The Common Guild in Glasgow, Chapter in Cardiff, The MAC Belfast, The Box and Midlands Arts Centre in Birmingham.

Image credit
NPG 7153. Portrait of Mai (Omai), Sir Joshua Reynolds c 1776, Oil on canvas; 236 x 145.5cm. Image courtesy of National Portrait Gallery, London and Getty.