The Great Exhibition Road Festival is a free three-day celebration of curiosity, discovery and exploration in South Kensington. Across the weekend the Festival will celebrate this spirit of innovation by bringing the arts, science and culture
The Grantham Institute and Festival Partners are curating creative workshops, talks, exhibitions and performances to inform, educate and inspire action on climate change and environmental issues.
Please register in advance to attend the Festival.
#ExRdFest
Exhibitions
Open all weekend
Greener Futures Zone
Queen’s Tower Rooms, Imperial College
Dirty air, plastic pollution and climate change – we’ve all heard the doom and gloom scenarios, but the Greener Futures Zone will explore the latest research and understanding that is paving the way to a better, more sustainable future.
Grantham Art Prize
Queen’s Tower Rooms, Imperial College
A dynamic showcase of the winning artworks from the Grantham Art Prize, which will challenge your perspectives on climate change and urge viewers to consider the moral and ethical implications.
Nature Zone
Nature Tent, Exhibition Road
Meet real scientists and find out about the amazing work they do with animals and in the environment, and get up close to nature with our workshops and exhibits.
Earth photo 2019 exhibition
Royal Geographical Society
A shortlist of 50 exceptional photographs and films that document the Earth in all its diversity.
Talks
Please book tickets in advance
A brief history of the exploration of Antarctica
Saturday 29 June, 13.00-13.45
Flett Lecture Theatre, Natural History Museum
Martin Siegert, Co-director of the Grantham Institute, talks about talk about how technological advances changed our appreciation of Antarctica, what changes in the Antarctic could mean for us in the UK, and why it should concern us all.
Day in the life of a spoken-word scientist
Sunday 30 June, 12:00-12.25
Ground Floor Lecture Theatre, Imperial College Business School
Hear from Luciana Miu, a PhD student who is researching energy efficiency as a tool to combat climate change. When she’s not fundraising to help empower young future energy leaders, volunteering with young refugees or brewing low-carbon beer, she enjoys writing poetry to communicate her hopes and ideas.
Why we eat what we eat
Sunday 30 June, 12.00-13.00
Lecture Theatre, V&A
Whether it’s meat alternatives or simply a better balance, together this panel will look at the role of lifestyle, identity and culture in determining our changing tastes and how to adopt a more responsible diet.
Uncovering our future in Antarctica’s past
Sunday 30 June, 13.00-13.45
Flett Lecture Theatre, Natural History Museum
Professor Tina van de Flierdt’s talk will look back into the geological past to help us understand our own future, and what may happen to Antarctic ice in a warmer world.
Tackling ocean plastic from land
Sunday 30 June, 13.30-14.30
Lecture Theatre, V&A
This discussion will look at solutions to the global plastic problem. From economic and technological approaches to rays of hope in the form new innovations, the panel will discuss what can be done to reduce plastic pollution.
Engaging UK BAME Communities in Climate Change Action
Sunday 30 June, 14:00-15:00
Great Hall, Imperial College
Judy Ling Wong CBE will deliver the 2019 Grantham Annual Lecture on engaging with and involving the UK’s Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities in climate change action.
The invention of nature
Sunday 30 June, 15.00-15.45
Flett Lecture Theatre, Natural History Museum
Andrea Wulf talks about about the extraordinary life of the visionary German naturalist and explorer Alexander von Humboldt (1769-1859) and how he created the way we understand nature today.
When art gets nature wrong
Sunday 30 June, 16.00-16.45
Flett lecture theatre, Natural History Museum
Alberto Zilli, the Natural History Museum’s entomologist, takes a journey back through time and across the globe to explore how accurately nature has been represented throughout the history of art and culture, from the ancient world to more recent times.
Tours
Please arrive at the Imperial Tours Meeting Point 10 minutes before the starting time of your tour to avoid missing out.
Energy Futures Lab tour
Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 June
11.30, 12.30, 13.30, 14.30 and 15.30
Discover the future of energy with our tour of Imperial’s Energy Futures lab. This facility is used by researchers and students at Imperial to develop their understanding of possible configurations for future low-carbon energy systems.
Carbon capture plant tour
Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 June
12.00, 13.00, 14.00 and 15.00 (Saturday only)
Join Imperial scientists who will show you around the four floors of our Carbon Capture Plant. Find out more about how it provides a vital resource in understanding how carbon dioxide c an be captured and stored.
Workshops
Please book tickets in advance
Autonomous vehicle challenge
Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 June
12.00, 13.30 and 15.00
Flowers Building, Imperial College
With driverless cars now becoming a reality after once being consigned to the pages of science-fiction, the world needs a new wave of engineers and programmers to design, build and programme the next generation of autonomous vehicles.
The Space Shed (How to save the planet)
Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 June
11.30, 13.00, 14.30 and 16.00
Space Zone
Unlimited Space Agency is turning its focus to the greatest existential threat to humanity’s existence – global warming as a result of human-made climate change – and how we can all help to (try and) save the planet.
Installations and demonstrations
Open all weekend
ParkUp!
Exhibition Road
Parklets, sometimes known as pocket parks, are miniature green spaces that cover a single car-parking space. This installation that explores the health benefits of getting green fingered with plants and connecting with the earth.
GREEN SPACE
Imperial College Road
An installation that explores the positive health benefits of green spaces in cities and how we connect with nature in an urban environment.
The Earth And Me
Exhibition Road
A street performance and exhibition of a costume designed to represent air, land and water pollution by Áinne Burke, artist in residence at the Grantham Institute.
Hands-on nature with the Royal Parks
Princes Gardens
Get involved in The Royal Parks’ hands-on activities and you’ll never look at a park in the same way again. Pot a pollinator-friendly plant to take away with you and hop aboard Mission: Invertebrate’s fantastic Bugmobile to unearth the park’s smallest inhabitants and the places they call home.
Would pedestrianising Exhibition Road clean up our air?
Greener Futures Zone
Exhibition Road is Britain’s longest ‘shared space’ for vehicles, cyclists, and pedestrians. Across the Festival weekend this team will study the effect pedestrianisation has on the local air quality as a demonstration of the potential improvements that could be obtained and would prove useful for the local authorities (and wider community) responsible for traffic planning.
About London Climate Action Week
As a major world city, London has a vital role to play in tackling climate change. London’s businesses and organisations are a global hub for expertise in finding solutions to cutting carbon emissions. We’re also leading the way in adapting to the inevitable impact of climate change. London Climate Action Week runs from 1-8 July. It’s a chance to share world-leading low carbon solutions and expertise, and highlight the action taking place in London. The aim is to show the wider UK and the rest of the world what practical changes we can make to tackle the climate emergency.
For more information and a full programme, visit london.gov.uk (external link)