Arts & Culture

TUESDAY 21 MARCH 2023

Earthquake appeal concert

Kurdish Community Devon hosts an evening of music as an act of resilience to raise money for earthquake victims.

EXETER PHOENIX

FRIDAY 31 MARCH 2023

Library Late

An evening of live music, creative workshops and a tour of Exeter Library's hidden corners.

EXETER LIBRARY

SATURDAY 11 MARCH 2023

Culture for Climate open mic night

Extinction Rebellion Exeter hosts an evening of climate-themed poetry, music and readings.

CLIMATE ACTION HUB

GALLERY

With (Y)our Own Eyes

Devon Ukrainian Association and Maketank present an exhibition of frontline photography to mark the anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine and the country's nine-year war for independence.

WEDNESDAY 1 MARCH 2023

Mothers on the Mic by Mothers Who Make

An inclusive daytime open mic event for adults and children with new music by local mothers and others.

MAKETANK

FRIDAY 24 FEBRUARY 2023

Spork! Worst Poet Wins

A poetry slam with a twist hosted by Locally Sourced and Edward Tripp.

SIDWELL STREET BAKEHOUSE

SATURDAY 25 FEBRUARY 2023

Phonic FM 15th birthday party

Exeter's community radio station celebrates fifteen years of broadcasting with an evening of live music and DJs.

EXETER PHOENIX

SATURDAY 28 JANUARY

#Instructions2LiveBy

An interactive Preston Street Union event invites participants to seek out wise words and helpful hints in fact and fiction.

EXETER LIBRARY

MONDAY 23 JANUARY 2023

Until Tomorrow

A new play about three parent carers based on academic research by Dr Siobhan O'Dwyer.

EXETER PHOENIX

WEDNESDAY 14 DECEMBER 2022

Spork! Christmas special

Spork! presents poetry, comedy and live music from Joelle Taylor, Luke Wright, BopaRhys and friends, with carols from the Exeter Railway Band.

EXETER PHOENIX

FRIDAY 6 JANUARY 2023

Concerts by candlelight

Pianist Alex Wilson plays traditional festive music from around the world at Christmastime.

ST DISEN'S & ST NICHOLAS PRIORY

THURSDAY 8 TO SATURDAY 10 DECEMBER 2022

Weird Women

Exeter Drama Company presents an original play about three sisters who share a dark secret.

LONGDOWN VILLAGE HALL

SATURDAY 19 NOVEMBER 2022

Spork Up! with Bohdan Piasecki

Spork! is holding an afternoon workshop and evening performance showcasing local spoken word talent.

EXETER PHOENIX

SATURDAY 12 NOVEMBER 2022

Mapping our Exeter

A free Being Human festival event exploring historic maps of Exeter and inviting contributions to a new digital map of the city.

DEVON & EXETER INSTITUTION

FRIDAY 4 NOVEMBER 2022

Mothers on the Mic

Mothers Who Make is holding an inclusive daytime open mic event for adults and children featuring new music written by local mothers and others.

EXETER LIBRARY

WEDNESDAY 23 NOVEMBER 2022

Refugee Support Devon fundraiser

Luca Rossi, Trikkeballakke and La Tarantella perform Southern Italian music and dance in aid of Refugee Support Devon.

EXETER PHOENIX

THURSDAY 20 OCTOBER 2022

Black History Month pottery, poetry and song

Ceramicist Lili John and Devon Development Education are hosting a celebration of the life of 19th century potter, poet and slave David Drake.

EXETER COMMUNITY CENTRE

TUESDAY 25 OCTOBER 2022

Spork! October special

Spork! presents an evening of spoken-word comedy and poetry with Kevin P. Gilday and multiple slam champion Kathryn O'Driscoll.

EXETER PHOENIX

THURSDAY 13 OCTOBER 2022

Spork! open mic night

Headliner Charice Bharwaj leads an evening of spoken word entertainment.

LITTLE DROP OF POISON

FRIDAY 30 SEPTEMBER & SATURDAY 1 OCTOBER 2022

Pop-up curiosity shop

Agile Rabbit is hosting a two day science and culture-themed event featuring music, live art, interactive exhibits and games, talks and workshops.

MAKETANK

WEDNESDAY 28 SEPTEMBER 2022

Mother Tongue

Mothers Who Make and Spork! present a lunchtime spoken word event for mother artists and audiences with caring roles.

MAKETANK

SATURDAY 30 JULY 2022

Phonic Fest 2022

Exeter Phoenix is hosting a day of live music from local artists plus DJs to raise money for Phonic FM, Exeter's community radio station.

EXETER PHOENIX

SUNDAY 5 JUNE 2022

The Big Spork! Poetry Picnic

Spork! is holding an interactive family-friendly indoor poetry and music workshop on picnic blankets.

EXETER PHOENIX

TUESDAY 24 MAY 2022

The Shadow: a Devon for Ukraine fundraiser

Soviet playwright Evgengy Schwartz' poetic and philosophical retelling of a Hans Christian Anderson tale is a subversive fable about choices we make for social and political gain and for love.

MAKETANK

SUNDAY 24 JULY 2022

Cast A Sheep's Eye: 16th and 17th century love songs

Joe Levy and Konstantinos Terzakis perform Renaissance and Baroque music by Purcell, Dowland, Morley and others in a series of concerts in historic buildings.

ST LAWRENCE CHAPEL

SUNDAY 26 JUNE 2022

Sound Walks with Emma Welton

Musician and sound artist Emma Welton is leading a series of Sunday afternoon sound walks as part of Exeter Dream Festival.

CYGNET THEATRE

SATURDAY 21 MAY 2022

Marsyas Quartet: Dreaming in Sound

Marsyas Quartet plays music by Mozart, Bach, Andrew M. Wilson, Judith Weir and Sungji Hong as part of The New Season Series and Exeter Dream Festival.

ST NICHOLAS PRIORY

TUESDAY 19-SATURDAY 23 APRIL 2022

Turn Up The Volume at Green Phoenix

A week of climate crisis-focussed concerts, talks and training orchestrated by Music Declares Emergency with Climate EQ, A Quiet Night In and Music is Murder.

EXETER PHOENIX

FRIDAY 22 APRIL 2022

A Quiet Night In

The ensemble's thirteenth exploration of the creative possibilities of quiet contemporary music in quiet spaces will take place on Earth Day as part of a week of climate change awareness events.

EXETER PHOENIX

WEDNESDAY 27 APRIL 2022

Climate Science and Creativity

Quay Words' spring writer-in-residence Ellen Wiles hosts a discussion between Devon writers and scientists about the ways they address the climate crisis in their work.

EXETER CUSTOM HOUSE

May the force be with UNESCO

NOTES & SKETCHES

May the force be with UNESCO

Torbay and Exeter’s joint UK city of culture bid, said to be inspired by the “closely connected coastal and city destinations” despite Brixham and Exeter being an hour and a half apart by public transport, didn’t make it onto the longlist of eight places which have caught the eye of culture vulture and escapee celebrity Nadine Dorries...

Free to those who can afford it

NOTES & SKETCHES

Free to those who can afford it

Torbay Council, Torbay Development Agency and Exeter City Council have “joined forces” to bid for 2025 UK City of Culture status, with their eyes on a prize of £300 million in claimed economic benefits...

Positive Light Projects opens community arts centre despite CityPoint redevelopment threat

ANALYSIS

Positive Light Projects opens community arts centre despite CityPoint redevelopment threat

Parts of Exeter city centre are experiencing an unplanned renaissance as small shops and cultural venues move in to fill empty units on Paris Street and Sidwell Street, but uncertainty remains as the council still plans to demolish and redevelop.

Top floor of former Debenhams store to be converted into cinema

NEWS

Top floor of former Debenhams store to be converted into cinema

Princesshay owner's proposals for change of use to four screen cinema and cafe/bar have been under discussion since November 2019.

Preston Street Union rolls out the red carpet

NEWS

Preston Street Union rolls out the red carpet

The Exeter-based artists explore migration driven by the city's historic wool trade in new work commissioned by RAMM.

THURSDAY 6 JUNE 2019

Jambassadors feature in pop-up Jazz Toast at Barnfield Theatre

Musical director Roz Harding invites us to join an Exeter College Music Academy student collective in a one-night-only experimental exploration of in-the-moment improvisation.

BARNFIELD THEATRE

SATURDAY 30 MARCH-SUNDAY 2 JUNE 2019

Extreme Imagination - Inside the Mind's Eye

University of Exeter research fellow Dr Matthew MacKisack guides us through a RAMM exhibition that explores works by artists, writers and makers with widely varying visual imaginations.

RAMM

FRIDAY 17-SUNDAY 19 MAY 2019

Playing with gender expectations at Barnfield Theatre

An Exeter College interpretation of A Midsummer Night's Dream transforms it into an enchanting contemporary gender-adapted tale.

BARNFIELD THEATRE

Rainbow Trail LGBTQIA+ exhibition queers RAMM for Exeter Pride 2019

NEWS

Rainbow Trail LGBTQIA+ exhibition queers RAMM for Exeter Pride 2019

A new collaboration between X-Plore Youth Devon, Exeter College LGBTQ+ society, Natalie McGrath of Dreadnought SW and Dr Jana Funke of the University of Exeter explores gender and sexual diversity across time, place and culture by reimagining objects from the RAMM collections.

Out of sight, out of mind

NEWS

Out of sight, out of mind

A performance of From The Light of The Fire, Our Dancing Shadows in Exeter for Kaleider Mikrofest appears to favour illusion over truth in a confused rendering of Plato's cave allegory that leaves both performers and audience in the dark.

Transport & Mobility
Devon County Council National Bus Strategy Bus Services Improvement Plan cover image

ANALYSIS

Future of Devon bus services being decided behind closed doors

Devon County Council does not want the public to hear whether local service improvements are going according to plan.

Exeter ticket zone map

ANALYSIS

Stagecoach escapes major sanctions over service failures

Traffic commissioner decides four days of free weekend travel in Exeter Plus ticket zone is sufficient penalty for poor performance despite public inquiry hearing severe criticism of company.

Devon County Council 2022-24 capital transport programme allocations

ANALYSIS

Motor vehicle infrastructure continues to dominate Devon transport spending

New active travel infrastructure to receive just 5% share of capital allocations this year and next, with new roads capital expenditure to increase from 74% to 86%.

All Transport & Mobility
Planning & Place
Exeter empty and second homes by council tax band October 2022 bar chart

NEWS

Exeter has more empty and second homes than built in city in past two years

Council tax premium proposals that aim to raise additional revenue from underused housing stock might also encourage return to residential occupancy.

University of Exeter students based at Streatham & St Luke's campuses 2021-22 & 2022-23 table

NEWS

30,000 students based at Exeter university campuses in 2022-23

Freedom of information request reveals significant drop on last year with postgraduate students accounting for 58% of fall in numbers.

Co-living - discover a new way to rent

COMMENT

Council development levy changes are insufficiently evidenced and don't meet city infrastructure needs

Exeter City Council and Liveable Exeter partners impose faulty typology driven by policy objectives while ignoring new local plan, evidence base and statutory funding statement and excluding residential and retail charges from review.

All Planning & Place
Climate & Environment
Exeter city centre retail area map 2017 and 2022 CDRC data

COMMENT

Is the grass really greener in Exeter city centre?

Academic research placing Exeter retail area at top of green space table was nationally reported, locally misrepresented then repurposed as booster fuel by local politicians overlooking study's social justice focus.

England and Wales water company 2021 pollution incidents per 10,000m2 of sewer bar chart

NEWS

South West Water performance remains among worst in sector as it falls further behind targets

Regulator highlights "sustained poor performance" after serious pollution incidents nearly triple and Environment Agency condemns company in annual assessment.

Exeter Climate Action Hub

NEWS

Climate Action Hub opens in Exeter city centre

A dedicated climate crisis information and resource centre is opening on 25 November in an empty Princesshay retail unit to provide events, meeting space, film screenings and drop-in advice and support.

All Climate & Environment
Democracy & Governance
Exeter City Council in session at Exeter Guildhall

COMMENT

Exeter City Council's approach to decision-making is damaging local democracy

Separation of powers and transparency provisions intended to safeguard public interest being subverted while council defies auditor over loss-making company.

Devon County Council headquarters at County Hall

NEWS

Underperforming county council children's services to receive nearly half of proposed spending increases

Details of simultaneous £50 million 2023-24 spending reductions not yet published as finance director cites service delivery "re-prioritisation".

Exeter Development Fund workshop presentation October 2021

ANALYSIS

Exeter City Futures falsely claims development fund documents disclosed under FOI legislation

Senior council director puts company on collision course with Information Commissioner's Office as significant governance failings emerge after councillors and public kept in dark over Liveable Exeter financing scheme proposals.

All Democracy & Governance
Community & Society

FRIDAY 31 MARCH 2023

Act Together community talk

A discussion led by University of Exeter climate scientist James Dyke on tackling the climate crisis.

EXETER COMMUNITY CENTRE

Exeter City Council community grants budgets bar chart

ANALYSIS

Council slashes community grants but splashes cash on paddling pools in contested wards

Exeter grants programme budget reduced from £425,000 to £15,000 leaving hundreds of grassroots groups out in the cold as the impact of borrowing takes its toll and council fails to consult on budget cuts despite auditor recommendation.

SATURDAY 11 MARCH 2023

International Women's Festival

A free one day festival celebrating women with live music, dance, poetry, talks, art, food and more.

EXETER PHOENIX

All Community & Society
Economy & Enterprise
Local authority economic activity levels change 2011-2021 census

NEWS

Decline in Exeter economic activity levels among largest in country

Census figures also show population increasing at nearly six times rate of job creation over past decade while healthcare, wholesale/retail and teaching make up nearly half of all employment, reflecting low pay and productivity.

Exeter City Council government borrowing 2014-2022 bar chart

ANALYSIS

Council borrowing nearly triples in three years as property acquisition and development loans mount

Freedom of information request reveals five paragraph "outline business plan" for £55 million Guildhall shopping centre investment.

Exeter 2020 net internal migration by age group bar chart

ANALYSIS

Exeter beset by unaffordable housing, low graduate retention and economically inactive over 50's

Exeter City Council executive ignores key challenges flagged in major council-commissioned employment and skills research report.

All Economy & Enterprise
All topics

ACCOUNTABILITY & TRANSPARENCY ACCOUNTABILITY & TRANSPARENCY ACCOUNTABILITY & TRANSPARENCY   AIR QUALITY AIR QUALITY AIR QUALITY   COP26 COP26 COP26   COVID-19 COVID-19 COVID-19   CITYPOINT CITYPOINT CITYPOINT   CLIFTON HILL SPORTS CENTRE CLIFTON HILL SPORTS CENTRE CLIFTON HILL SPORTS CENTRE   CLIMATE CRISIS CLIMATE CRISIS CLIMATE CRISIS   CLIMATE CRISIS CLIMATE CRISIS CLIMATE CRISIS   CO-LIVING CO-LIVING CO-LIVING   CONGESTION CONGESTION CONGESTION   COUNCIL TAX COUNCIL TAX COUNCIL TAX   CROWN ESTATE CROWN ESTATE CROWN ESTATE   CYCLING & WALKING CYCLING & WALKING CYCLING & WALKING   DEMOCRATIC DEFICIT DEMOCRATIC DEFICIT DEMOCRATIC DEFICIT   DEVON & CORNWALL POLICE DEVON & CORNWALL POLICE DEVON & CORNWALL POLICE   DEVON CARBON PLAN DEVON CARBON PLAN DEVON CARBON PLAN   DEVON COUNTY COUNCIL DEVON COUNTY COUNCIL DEVON COUNTY COUNCIL   DEVON PENSION FUND DEVON PENSION FUND DEVON PENSION FUND   EAST DEVON DISTRICT COUNCIL EAST DEVON DISTRICT COUNCIL EAST DEVON DISTRICT COUNCIL   EXETER AIRPORT EXETER AIRPORT EXETER AIRPORT   EXETER CATHEDRAL EXETER CATHEDRAL EXETER CATHEDRAL   EXETER CITY COUNCIL EXETER CITY COUNCIL EXETER CITY COUNCIL   EXETER CITY FUTURES EXETER CITY FUTURES EXETER CITY FUTURES   EXETER CITY LIVING EXETER CITY LIVING EXETER CITY LIVING   EXETER COLLEGE EXETER COLLEGE EXETER COLLEGE   EXETER CULTURE EXETER CULTURE EXETER CULTURE   EXETER DEVELOPMENT FUND EXETER DEVELOPMENT FUND EXETER DEVELOPMENT FUND   EXETER LIVE BETTER EXETER LIVE BETTER EXETER LIVE BETTER   EXETER LOCAL PLAN EXETER LOCAL PLAN EXETER LOCAL PLAN   EXETER PHOENIX EXETER PHOENIX EXETER PHOENIX   EXETER PRIDE EXETER PRIDE EXETER PRIDE   EXETER SCIENCE PARK EXETER SCIENCE PARK EXETER SCIENCE PARK   EXETER ST DAVID'S EXETER ST DAVID'S EXETER ST DAVID'S   EXETER TRANSPORT STRATEGY EXETER TRANSPORT STRATEGY EXETER TRANSPORT STRATEGY   EXETER CITY CENTRE EXETER CITY CENTRE EXETER CITY CENTRE   EXTINCTION REBELLION EXETER EXTINCTION REBELLION EXETER EXTINCTION REBELLION EXETER   FREEDOM OF INFORMATION FREEDOM OF INFORMATION FREEDOM OF INFORMATION   FRIDAYS FOR FUTURE EXETER FRIDAYS FOR FUTURE EXETER FRIDAYS FOR FUTURE EXETER   GENERAL ELECTIONS GENERAL ELECTIONS GENERAL ELECTIONS   GUILDHALL GUILDHALL GUILDHALL   HARLEQUINS HARLEQUINS HARLEQUINS   HEART OF THE SOUTH WEST LEP HEART OF THE SOUTH WEST LEP HEART OF THE SOUTH WEST LEP   HOUSING CRISIS HOUSING CRISIS HOUSING CRISIS   LGBTQIA+ LGBTQIA+ LGBTQIA+   LIVEABLE EXETER PLACE BOARD LIVEABLE EXETER PLACE BOARD LIVEABLE EXETER PLACE BOARD   LIVEABLE EXETER LIVEABLE EXETER LIVEABLE EXETER   LOCAL INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY LOCAL INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY LOCAL INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY   LOCAL ELECTIONS LOCAL ELECTIONS LOCAL ELECTIONS   MAKETANK MAKETANK MAKETANK   MARSH BARTON MARSH BARTON MARSH BARTON   MET OFFICE MET OFFICE MET OFFICE   MID DEVON DISTRICT COUNCIL MID DEVON DISTRICT COUNCIL MID DEVON DISTRICT COUNCIL   NET ZERO EXETER NET ZERO EXETER NET ZERO EXETER   NORTHERNHAY GARDENS NORTHERNHAY GARDENS NORTHERNHAY GARDENS   OXYGEN HOUSE OXYGEN HOUSE OXYGEN HOUSE   PARIS STREET PARIS STREET PARIS STREET   PARKING PARKING PARKING   PENINSULA TRANSPORT PENINSULA TRANSPORT PENINSULA TRANSPORT   PLANNING POLICY PLANNING POLICY PLANNING POLICY   PRINCESSHAY PRINCESSHAY PRINCESSHAY   PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT   PUBLIC CONSULTATION PUBLIC CONSULTATION PUBLIC CONSULTATION   PUBLIC HEALTH PUBLIC HEALTH PUBLIC HEALTH   PUBLIC REALM PUBLIC REALM PUBLIC REALM   PUBLIC TRANSPORT PUBLIC TRANSPORT PUBLIC TRANSPORT   RAMM RAMM RAMM   REFUSE & RECYCLING REFUSE & RECYCLING REFUSE & RECYCLING   RETROFIT RETROFIT RETROFIT   RIVERSIDE VALLEY PARK RIVERSIDE VALLEY PARK RIVERSIDE VALLEY PARK   ROYAL DEVON NHS TRUST ROYAL DEVON NHS TRUST ROYAL DEVON NHS TRUST   SIDWELL STREET SIDWELL STREET SIDWELL STREET   SOUTH WEST EXETER EXTENSION SOUTH WEST EXETER EXTENSION SOUTH WEST EXETER EXTENSION   SOUTH WEST WATER SOUTH WEST WATER SOUTH WEST WATER   SOUTHERNHAY SOUTHERNHAY SOUTHERNHAY   SPORT ENGLAND LOCAL DELIVERY PILOT SPORT ENGLAND LOCAL DELIVERY PILOT SPORT ENGLAND LOCAL DELIVERY PILOT   ST SIDWELL'S COMMUNITY CENTRE ST SIDWELL'S COMMUNITY CENTRE ST SIDWELL'S COMMUNITY CENTRE   ST SIDWELL'S POINT ST SIDWELL'S POINT ST SIDWELL'S POINT   STAGECOACH SOUTH WEST STAGECOACH SOUTH WEST STAGECOACH SOUTH WEST   STUDENT ACCOMMODATION STUDENT ACCOMMODATION STUDENT ACCOMMODATION   TEIGNBRIDGE DISTRICT COUNCIL TEIGNBRIDGE DISTRICT COUNCIL TEIGNBRIDGE DISTRICT COUNCIL   UNIVERSITY OF EXETER UNIVERSITY OF EXETER UNIVERSITY OF EXETER  

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