Festival of Britain: Through the Eyes of the Archive

The summer of 1951 found the nation searching for something new, a bright light following years of war. A ‘tonic to the nation’, the Festival of Britain was conceived to boost morale with a smorgasbord of inspiration from the arts, sciences and industry. London’s South Bank was transformed with the addition of the Royal Festival Hall and the futuristic Telekinema, forging the origins of the National Film Theatre and today’s BFI Southbank. Join experts from the BFI National Archive as we surface contemporary perspectives from our collections, shedding light on the festival experience, the legacy it left behind, and the role film had to play.