By summer, everything came together.
June to August was all about performance. Our final Knees Up shows took everything we’d been building and turned it all the way up blending choreography, musical theatre, satire and just the right amount of chaos. From Tina Turner moments to unexpected twists (and performances that had the audience laughing one minute and
fully emotional the next), the shows became a full celebration of Saturday night entertainment Downtown style.
June also saw the launch of our exhibition, a huge milestone for our Heritage work. After months of research and development, we opened a project exploring Portsmouth’s clubbing history across the 20th century. This wasn’t just about nightlife it was about people, memory and community. From mums to bouncers, dancers to DJs, the exhibition captured stories from across the city and brought them into one shared space. The opening night was joyful, proud, and just the right amount of cheeky.
Alongside this, we fully launched our summer youth and play programme. Through discos, photography sessions and creative workshops, we created spaces for young people and families to engage with arts and culture in accessible, playful ways.
Artist-led sessions brought the exhibition to life in new ways. Through movement, dance and shared storytelling, Alice invited people to step into the histories we’d been collecting — not just observe them.
We also hosted a series of zine-making workshops with Angela Chick, supp
orting participants to create their own publications and tell their own stories. It was about ownership, creativity and making sure heritage isn’t something that happens to people but something they actively shape.
Summer was bold, busy and full of energy, a real reflection of what Downtown Pompey is all about.
