The Great Exhibition Road Festival is a free celebration of curiosity, discovery and exploration in South Kensington. The Festival brings together science and the arts in a unique programme of creative workshops, talks, exhibitions and performances – all in the spirit of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert’s vision for the Great Exhibition. The first festival took place in June 2019 and it continues each year with over 20 partner organisations and a vibrant programme.
Working closing with our client Imperial College and partners including the Natural History Museum, V&A and Science Museum, Continental Drifts provide a full event production service for the festival including managing road closures, health and safety, technical management, liaison with counter terrorism, councils, and emergency services to facilitate this fantastic festival.
Continental Drifts Services…
- Production Management
- Scoping Exercises
- Event Management Plans
- Health and Safety
- Local Authority & Stakeholder Liaison
- Budgeting
- Traffic Management & Parking Suspensions
- Supplier & Staff Procurement
- Stage & Technical Management
- Site Design & Management
Continental Drifts attended regular operational meetings with all event partners, working closely with them to facilitate and support their participation, which included workshops, information stands, performances and demonstrations on the road. We procured infrastructure such as marquees and staging based on their needs and worked very closely with suppliers to determine the safest and most efficient build schedule.
Health and Safety Management also fell under our remit, we produced all event safety plans in collaboration with the largest venues on the road, risk assessments and provided onsite management. Other services included budget management, artist advancing, stage management and event staff procurement. The event was a huge success with over 20,000 attendees, our clients were very happy and have asked us to continue producing the event with them.
‘Wow! We think that sums it up. Wow, because it was wonderful seeing Exhibition Road full of people enjoying the festival spirit again. Wow, because the energy and expertise you and the Continental Drifts team and contractors bring to the Festival is incredible.
The festival was buzzing with interesting questions and shrills of excitement. Our roads become outdoor art studios, our lawns became dance floors, and crowds of people were proudly wearing animal masks, crowns, and carrying a range of recently crafted sci/art activities.
Thank you all so much for your advice, your time, your expertise and your collaboration to bring this festival to life, as well as the amazing performers that you brough to our Bandstand stage – they really enlivened the Plaza and created a fantastic festival vibe!’
– Lara Mistry, Deputy Head of Public Engagement Imperial College London