Spring 2025 (March – May)
Making, moving and stepping into the spotlight
Spring arrived and things picked up quickly. We moved straight into rehearsal mode, creating, devising and building new work from scratch.
March kicked things off with our first run of Knees Up shows and they delivered. Big performances, bold energy and a proper celebration of cabaret culture in Portsmouth. With headliners including Joe Black and Bradley Jago, the nights brought together music, performance and community in a way that felt both nostalgic and completely fr
esh.
Alongside performance, our heritage work continued to grow. We delivered our first set of site-based workshops with students from Portsmouth City College, exploring local history, storytelling and whose voices get remembered. These sessions were about giving people the tools and confidence to see themselves as part of the city’s story.
Behind the scenes, we also invested in our team, with everyone completing first aid training. It’s a small thing that makes a big difference helping us ensure Downtown is not just creative, but safe and supportive for everyone who walks through the door.
Supper & Spice returned as part of our Taste programme bringing people together through food, culture and conversation. This time, it also became film. Working with filmmakers Gav Carmann and Leo Burtin, we created a short piece exploring a queer couple living in Portsmouth and what food means to them identity, comfort, connection, home.
We also stepped into music video territory. Our collaboration with Portsmouth City Council and local artists resulted in a reimagined version of Downtown, recorded by Bradley Jago. Filmed across Commercial Road, the video celebrated the high street where it’s come from, and where it could go. Featuring a powerful spoken word piece from Majid (Nomads 432), it became a creative snapshot of the city in transition. 
And in amongst all of that, we made a big move relocating into our new home at Creates at Playland. A new base, more space, and a clear step forward in how we deliver our work.
