Art Fund Museum of the Year

High Street Sparks

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Putting the happy into our high street. ‘High Street Sparks’ ran from 2021-2024 and provided funding support to help make projects and ideas inspired by the heritage of Plymouth’s city centre a reality.

‘High Street Sparks’ provided small grants of up to £2,500 (and in exceptional cases £5,000) to community projects designed to breathe life back into the city centre with a particular focus on raising awareness of and celebrating the heritage of a special conservation area that was adopted in July 2019.

Conservation Area

The conservation area focuses on Royal Parade and Civic Square and is bounded by: New George Street to the north; Raleigh Street, Derry’s Cross, Athenaeum Lane to the west; Notte Street to the South; and Old Town Street, St Andrews Cross and abutting the western boundary of the Barbican Conservation Area to the east.

Find out more about the seven projects who were successful in round one.
Find out more about the four projects who were successful in round two.

Funders and Partners

The £95 million government-funded High Street Heritage Action Zone programme, delivered by Historic England, has been designed to unlock the potential of 60 high streets across England.

High Street Sparks funding was part of a wider High Street Heritage Action Zone project managed by The Box, POP and Plymouth City Council.

Plymouth - City of the Future

Check out the new animated short film (running time 6 minutes) which offers a great insight into the heritage of Plymouth’s city centre! ‘Plymouth – City of the Future’ has been created by Robin Holland at Saltash-based Carbon Pixel Limited for the High Street Heritage Action Zone Project.