Applications for being part of the 2026 Great Exhibition Road Festival have now closed. Please get in touch with the Festival team at festival@imperial.ac.uk with any questions.
This is a copy of the Great Exhibition Road Festival 2026 proposal form, to allow you to preview the questions in advance of
Click here to download the form as a Word document
Great Exhibition Road Festival 2026 Proposal form
Welcome to the proposal form for the Great Exhibition Road Festival, which returns on 6 and 7 June 2026, with doors open between 12.00 and 18.00 each day.
Here is where 51³Ô¹ÏÍø staff and students can submit their ideas to entertain, engage and educate our festival visitors. So whether you are proposing an exhibit, talk, workshop, live demo, performance or show, we welcome any suggestion that celebrates or opens up dialogue around 51³Ô¹ÏÍø research in creative and engaging ways.
We recommend everyone submitting a proposal read our Festival guidance document. It is your go-to guide for information on:
- Who comes to the Festival and our target audiences
- Ideas on the sort of content we are looking for
- Roles and responsibilities and Festival deadlines
Deadline for submissions is Monday 3 November 2025 and we aim to reply to all proposals with individual feedback in January 2026.
We want to be open to all so please get in touch with us if you have any issues with, or would like assistance filling in, this form (festival@imperial.ac.uk).
If you want to take part in the 2026 Festival but are not sure if your ideas will work or how to make them happen, we are hosting an online advice session. Here you can hear all about the Festival from its organisers, learn about the proposals process, and get feedback on your initial ideas and answers to any logistical questions you may have.
The session takes place on 20 October, 13.30-15.00. . This session will be recorded.
Regards
The 51³Ô¹ÏÍø Public Engagement Team
Lead Contact:
Lead contact email:
Lead contact CID number:
Lead contact mobile number:
Are you happy to share a number to contact you on over the Festival weekend? Your Zone Manager may add it to a WhatsApp group with other content leads in your Zone:
- Yes
- No
Additional contact (someone else who might be involved in the activity who we can contact just in case).
Additional contact email:
Group, department, centre or institute:
Are you or your research group currently engaged with any local community groups, organisations or charities, or have you been in the recent past?
- Yes (please let us know which individuals, community groups, organisations or institutions you are collaborating with below)
- No
Does your proposed Festival activity idea relate to research carried out in collaboration with any other individuals, organisations, community groups or institutions outside of 51³Ô¹ÏÍø?
- Yes (please let us know which individuals, community groups, organisations or institutions you are collaborating with below)
- No
If yes, is this research part of a Horizon Europe funded project?
- Yes
- No
About your Festival idea
Working title of your festival activity (max 5 words, needs to be a public-friendly and fun title. Examples from the previous Festivals included 'Paint Drip Brains', 'Clean Green Zooming Machines', and 'Coral Constructors')
What type of activity are you proposing to engage the public at the Festival (N.B. there is more information on what these types of activity mean and some examples in the Festival guidance document):
- Interactive Exhibit / Hands on demonstration
- Installation / exhibition
- Talk / Discussion panel
- Creative workshop
- Science show
- Stage performance
- Roaming performance
- Other – Specify:
(NB. multiple choice question - select one)
Please identify which audience group your activity is most suitable for. The Festival attracts a broad audience and taking part will mean you will engage with a range of audiences. But some areas of the Festival are dedicated to specific visitor groups. (N.B. more information on audiences can be found in the proposals process guidance document)
- Parents/carers with young children (0 - 5)
- Parents/carers with young children (5 - 12)
- Young people (13 - 17)
- Young people (18 - 25)
- Adults (26+)
Do you think your proposals might appeal specifically to any of the following visitor groups:
- Black/Black British
- LGBTQIA+
- Disability community (particularly the D/deaf community and people who are partially sighted or blind)
Please let us know below if you have a preference for what Zone you would like your activity to be located in.
- NextGen
- Adults Only
- Eureka Zone
- Family Fun Zone
- Be a Scientist Zone
- Exhibition Road
- 51³Ô¹ÏÍø College Road
- No preference
(NB. multiple choice question - rank choices)
Please provide a brief overview of your broad research area and why it would be of interest to wider audiences (Please limit your response to max 150 words).
Why do you want to take part in the Festival? (Please limit your response to max 150 words)
What are you planning to do as your activity at the Festival? Please describe in as much detail as you know what your activity will look like (what materials or equipment will be used, and how will you set them up), and how the attending public will experience it. There will be opportunities to develop ideas further and we are open to initial ideas/concepts. (Please limit your response to max 150 words)
Does your proposed activity link to this year's Festival theme? The 2026 Great Exhibition Road Festival will feature a strand of content marking the 175th anniversary of the Great Exhibition in 1851.
- Yes (please explain how)
- No
Have you delivered this activity at a public event before?
- Yes (please list the event(s) here)
- No
Do you have allocated funding for this activity?
- Yes
- No
Will your proposed festival activity be contributing to ongoing or forthcoming research? For example, will you be collecting data for research purposes, gathering public feedback on a research project etc.
- Yes
- No
If yes, Do you consider your proposed Festival activity to include elements of participatory research?
- I will use citizen science or another participatory approach to data collection/analysis.
- I will consult members of the public on my research analysis, findings, outputs, or innovations.
- I will involve the public in prioritising research topics or questions.
- I will collaborate with public partners on co-designing an activity, intervention, or innovation.
- I will empower the public to make the final decisions about how research will take place.
- Other
- No (my Festival activity does not include elements of participatory research)
If you are using participatory approaches, please give a bit more detail on your approach here. Please put N/A if this does not apply to your proposed activity.
Do you think your proposed activity might require research ethics approval (I.e. are you collecting research data from the public/involving them in an active study)?
- Yes, I am collecting public data for research purposes
- No, I am not collecting data for research purposes
- Not sure
Please indicate what equipment / resources you might need to run your activity: Each team delivering an Interactive Exhibit / Hands on demonstration will be allocated a standard sized exhibit space made up of 1x 6ft trestle table and 2m by 4m floorspace. If you think your activity requires anything above this standard allocation please detail it here and explain the reasons for a larger allocation
Can you explain what steps you are taking to reduce the environmental impact of your Festival activity?
How many people do you estimate will be able to help you deliver your activities at the Festival?
Does your proposed Festival activity link to any upcoming academics papers or the launch of new facilities, labs or institutes that might provide a news hook for media coverage?
- Yes
- No