The Great Exhibition Road Festival returns on 17-18 June 2023, and Imperial staff and students can submit their ideas now to be part of the weekend.
Get involved in a celebration of science
Following more than 38,000 people visiting the Great Exhibition Road Festival in June, the Festival will be returning next summer offering Imperial staff and students another opportunity to get involved and share their research with tens of thousands of visitors.
Alongside events from other world-leading organisations in South Kensington – including the Natural History Museum, Science Museum, V&A and Royal Albert Hall – Imperial College London will be giving the public a unique chance to engage with the wide variety of incredible research taking place across the College.
As in June 2022, this free to attend Festival will be taking over large parts of Exhibition Road and our own Imperial campus to engage visitors in all things 'science and the arts' through activities and events suited to all ages.
Lara Mistry, Deputy Head of Public Engagement (Public Programmes) and Festival Manager said: “There are so many ways to get involved in the Great Exhibition Road Festival this year, from running workshops, exhibits, shows and talks, to supporting with schools engagement or volunteering at the Festival weekend. We’re always impressed by the range of ideas and creative ways of engaging the public submitted by our College community and are excited to hear ideas for how we can create an even bigger and better event next year.”
This year, the Festival will celebrate the power of awe and wonder to move and motivate us. Whether it is ground-breaking art, scientific discoveries, or unique landscapes, we all have memorable moments that stimulate our minds and moods, sparking a curiosity for the world around us.
Make sure that you register your interest in being involved and submit your ideas by the application deadline of 6 November 2022.
A brilliant return to Exhibition Road
After a few years of disruption due to the pandemic, June saw the Festival return to its full-scale. Due in large part to the creativity and hard work of hundreds of Imperial staff and students who ran events and volunteered over the weekend, the Festival received an incredibly positive response from its visitors.
Some headline results from the public evaluation included:
- 92% of Festival visitors rated the Great Exhibition Road Festival as good or excellent
- 89% of visitors agreed that the Festival felt like something special
- 94% would recommend the Festival to a friend
Visitors particularly enjoyed the quality of interactions with workshop leads and festival exhibitors, with 92% rated good or excellent and with the top motivations for visiting were to have an enjoyable day out and to inspire children and enhance their interest in science.
A full evaluation report on the Festival can be provided on request by contacting the Festival team at?festival@imperial.ac.uk.
If you’d like to be part of the next Great Exhibition Road Festival in 2023, the Festival team are running two introductory sessions on 18 and 26 October 2022 and you can also develop your public engagement ideas at masterclasses on the same days.
Find out more about getting involved in the Festival and training opportunities >
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Reporter
Joanna Childs
Office of the Provost
