A Tourist Must-try: The Great Exhibition Road Fest 2019
Anyone who’s interested in history and culture will love this year’s The Great Exhibition Road Test. The meeting of art and science, the road fest links together all the iconic institutions in London. This year marks a very special exhibit, for it will highlight the 200th year of Queen Victoria’s and Prince Albert’s birth.
Over 20 museums and cultural institutions will be working together to help produce works, mementos, and other art exhibits integral in the late royal couple’s lives. More specifically, the exhibit will feature Albertopolis, the world’s first ever cultural center for learning, research, and creativity. As suggested by its name, it was the prince himself who founded it after the 1851 Great Exhibition.
The institutions who will be collaborating at the road festival are Goethe Institution, Imperial College London, RBKC Art Weekend, Natural History Museum, the V & A, the Royal Albert Hall, Royal College of Music, Royal Geographical Society, Royal College of Art, Kensington Palace, Royal Society of Sculptors, Japan House, Ismaili Centre, Science Museum, and Institut Francais. They will also be working closely with the Royal Borough of
Kensington and Chelsea, and Westminster City Council. The lineup alone looks promising and spectacular. How much more for the actual event?
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Aside from behind-the-scenes tours, there will also be inspiring talks, engaging and creative workshops, demonstrations and experiments, and a sprawling street food market. Other main attractions include The Gleaners and I screening at Institut Francais, The Code of Life at Imperial College London, and The Art of Performing Science at the Royal Geographical Society.
The Great Exhibition Road Test aims to showcase Albertopolis to Londoners, and to hopefully engage them in all the major events at the festival. It also seeks to inspire teenagers and young adults to be more interested, or to take up careers in the arts and sciences.
The festival is set to commence on Friday, June 28, until Sunday, June 30. The exhibition will run from 11 AM to 5 PM. It will take place on Exhibition Road, South Kensington London close to Park Grand Hotel Kensington Hotel. The festival is free, but participants are invited to register so they can receive the latest updates, a first look into the talks and workshops, and the festival programme. Make sure you register at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk.
To enjoy the whole weekend sans the hassle of commute, you can stay at hotels in Central London. You can also enjoy in cafes and restaurants if you got too tired walking the whole day. Some of these restaurants are Honest Burgers, Casa Brindisa, Town House, Apero, Coda Restaurant, and Pappa Roma Pizzeria. The nearest tube station to Exhibition Road is South Kensington, via Circle and Piccadilly. From the station, you’ll just have to walk to the festival venue for 5 minutes.