Projects

We are proud to be a place where great creative projects can happen. Whether instigating our own projects or joining forces with the wider creative community; working with national partners or responding to local ideas and needs; we aim to bring a flexible and responsive approach whenever new opportunities arise.

Click the images below to find out about some of the projects we have been working on.

Interested in working on a project with us? Get in touch and tell us more >>

ONGOING and recent projects

A cast object being held by multiple hands
The Slightest Gesture is a socially-engaged sculpture, dance and film project by artist Tabatha Andrews, made for and with learning-disabled and neurodiverse communities of Exeter.
Two Short Nights. Our annual short film festival which nurtures new and emerging talent through selected screenings, commissions, and our famous 48 Hour Film Challenge!
Freefall. Our youth arts group for 13-16yr olds which aims to create a welcoming and safe space to socialize, share ideas and opinions and develop creative projects together.
Theatre in the Park. Pack your picnic and join us in Rougemont Gardens this Summer for some theatre & spoken word out in the open!
Exeter Contemporary Open. An annual open submission exhibition, providing an important national platform for contemporary visual art with an emphasis on supporting emerging talent alongside more established artists.
DOCLAB. A development scheme that brings together filmmakers from across Devon. The aim is to inspire and enable participants through networking, film screenings and talks, fostering documentary film talent.
Social [practice] is a programme of events that offers an alternative platform for artists and creative producers to meet and make together in a series of practical projects hosted by creative practitioners.
Come As You Are is a free festival, celebrating the Trans, Non-Binary & Gender Diverse community in Devon & the South West.
Green Phoenix Festival is a free festival to raise awareness of the climate crisis, shine a light on the many ways that we can all do our bit, and celebrate the excellent work taking place across all sectors locally.
'Big Screen in the Park'
Big Screen in the Park. An outdoor cinema event that shows cult classics, family favourites and new releases over four summer evenings.
Exeter Phoenix is a proud supporter of the best new music talent. New Band Showcase brings you a free event of the most exciting new artists and bands from the South West.
Discover a world of Food on Film with a compilation of documentaries, features and shorts from around the world, scheduled across four seasons.
Freefall+ is a regular group offering young people with complex support needs a space to to explore the arts, develop their potential and to access networks of support.
Scratch Night. An evening to take new ideas further with support for local performance development. Successful applicants receive rehearsal space, the chance to perform their work to an audience and £150.
Little Scratch. An informal, safe and nurturing space for local creatives to talk through their ideas and connect with fellow creatives about the kind of work they want to create on a monthly basis.

PAST projects

Torquay Cinema Heritage Project (2024) is a collection of short films that look at the history and impact of cinema and film in Torquay and how the people, places and memories of cinema going continue to influence the town.
(2022) The project documented and recorded the stories of Exeter residents and their earliest memories of cinema going in the city.
Lockdown Blues is a project to show people who feel lonely that they aren’t the only ones, and to provide a way for them to tell their stories.
(2016) Artists and filmmakers submitted short films created in response to pregnancy, birth and/or new parenthood experience(s) for Brood Film Fest; the first annual international short film festival in the world dedicated to the subject of early parenthood.
Neoreplicants (2012) Thirty artists commissioned by Exeter Phoenix and the University of Exeter to explore the possibilities of emerging 3D printing technologies to their art making practice.
The Phoenix Archive Project (2024). 8,700 feet of 16mm film footage dating from the 1930s-1950s, donated to Exeter Phoenix. The project includes commissions, screenings of unseen footage, and community workshops.
(2023) A curated season of screenings, talks, and workshops that explored the traditions, customs and rituals associated with harvest time.
Reason to Create (2021) With a focus on spotlighting Exeter artists and creatives, Reason to Create was a one-off pop-up festival, inspired by the artists who told Exeter Phoenix that we offered artists ‘a reason to create’ over lockdown.
#4LoveProject
South West musician, educator and Exeter Phoenix associate artist Laura Loft launched a project exploring the notions of creating music ‘for the love of it’. The #4LoveProject saw Laura encouraging collaboration between visual artists and musicians across Devon.
Redefining Print (2015) was a mentoring, exhibition and symposium partnership with Double Elephant Print Workshop exploring possible redefinitions of printmaking with contemporary artists.
Bloom Festival (2024) A free, one-day mental health festival to encourage and enable discussion, raise awareness of local support services and to utilise creativity as a tool for self-expression.
Exeter Phoenix developed a young audience panel aimed at strengthening the cinema's visibility, and to find new ways to reach under 25s.
A Song for Us (2020) celebrates creativity in everyone; whether performing, composing, or listening. Produced by Sound UK in partnership with Junction Goole, Higher Rhythm, Bristol Music Trust, Exeter Phoenix, Beaford Arts and Villages in Action.
(2020) Documental Theatre’s #WhereTo project. We shared films made by over 70 South West artists and theatre companies online whilst our own theatre was dark due to lockdown.
Culture, Data, Projector (2015) Fabian’s Film’s latest project exploring themes of culture, identity, the environment and sport inspired by each of the five nations who took part in the Rugby World Cup events in Exeter, Sept 2015
Creative Growth (2024) Professional Development Workshops for artists designed to support our creative community to develop relevant skills, expand knowledge and grow professional networks.
Summer Art Camp (2022) We teamed up with Positive Light Projects and MakeTank to create our Summer Art Camp, a whole month of workshops for all ages, art classes, studio socials, ‘inspired by’ sessions, artist’s film screenings and so much more
Hyperlocal Commissions (2020) 10 micro-commissions by Devon and Cornwall based freelance artists.
(2016) A significant project with artist Sean Lynch, who represented Ireland in the 2015 Venice Bianalle. The project worked closely with Spacex and RAMM
photograph of a busy cafe bar
Hopes and Fears (2014) An extraordinary project that documented the hopes and fears of some remarkable teenagers. What they have to say is funny, moving, important and arresting.

We have been working on projects within the community for many years. You can find an archive of past projects we have supported here >>