1911 Festival of Empire | Project Roundtable

This is a recording of a Knowledge Exchange roundtable hosted by London College of Communication and discussing London's Crystal Palace Park's history and how it is being re-examined and re-visualised. On 12 May 1911, an elaborate event opened in London's Crystal Palace Park. It was called the Festival of Empire and its aim was to promote the British Empire to the British public. It was one of many empire marketing events that were held at that time, yet it is not widely known about and there is little for today’s park-goers and those living locally to know it took place. Most published and curated accounts of the park's history focus on the grandeur of the Crystal Palace and its tragic destruction in 1936. Basic details of the 1911 Festival are displayed in the on-site Crystal Palace Museum and on Wikipedia but these are pale in comparison to the dynamic spectacle that it was.

A new Knowledge Exchange project, hosted by UAL London College of Communication and led by artist and LCC Progression and Attainment Project Manager Lucy Panesar, seeks to make this example of imperialist propaganda more visible and examine it through a decolonial lens. Through March to May, Lucy worked with LCC Photojournalism student Lydia Wilks to add to the Festival’s Wikipedia page, and with Crystal Palace Museum volunteer David Cardew to start digitally revisualising the Festival from archival imagery. At this roundtable, Lucy and Lydia provide an overview of the project aims and outputs to date, and then invite the following guest speakers to offer insights on the 1911 Festival of Empire and its historical and contemporary significance:

- Richard Watkins, Crystal Palace Museum trustee and tour guide

- Jane Collins, Professor of Theatre and Performance at Wimbledon College of Arts

- Oli Marshall, Creative Lead at Crystal Palace Bowl

- Dr Dan Byrne-Smith, Senior Lecturer in Fine Art Theory at Chelsea College of Art

- Dr Nicky Ryan, Dean of Design at London College of Communication

- Wendy Cummins, Director of Radiate Festival

The presentations and audience Q&A were be moderated by Rahul Patel, UAL Associate Lecturer, Co-curator of Decolonising the Arts Curriculum zines and Co-leader of Decolonising Narratives reading group.