Festival of Britain, 1951

Abstract

GENEBAL LOUD ISMAY, chairman of the Council of the Festival of Britain, 1951, presided at a meeting on October 14 to announce progress in the plans for the Festival. Mr. Gerald Barry, director-general, emphasized that it is hoped to mark 1951 in three ways : by events centrally organised and financed by the Festival organisation itself ; by events organised by other interests, which may be associated With and assisted by the Festival authorities ; and by unofficial events throughout Great Britain. There is to be a central exhibition in London on the south bank of the Thames between the County Hall and Waterloo Bridge ; the river front is to be cleared and a concert hall built on the site. The exhibition itself will be in temporary fabric structures of a new type ; it will be on a small scale and an attempt will be made to tell the story of British life and achievement. It was emphasized that it will not be a trade fair. The Council of Industrial Design will be responsible for selecting contemporary industrial exhibits. A Council of Science and Technology, specially created for the Festival, will ensure that scientific achievement will be adequately represented both in the central exhibition and in other ways. An Architectural Exhibition, elsewhere in London, will take the form of a full-scale cross-section of a residential area in various stages of building, which can be completed and handed over for actual use after the Festival closes. There will also be one or more travelling exhibitions visiting the principal cities of the country ; and it is hoped to co-operate with bodies holding annual meetings, such as the British Association. Finally, the Vice-Chancellors of the Universities of Oxford, Cambridge and London have been invited to arrange special vacation courses in the summer of 1951 in subjects relevant to the main theme of the Festival. In this way, it is hoped to demonstrate the contribution of British thought in philosophy, literature, religion and science to the progress of civilization.