Brief
We Are Placemaking supported Applied Research Creative Studio (a-r-c-s) and Imperial College London, to transform Perkin’s Green at Imperial’s White City Campus into an outdoor cinema experience.
Designed to create a welcoming space for students, staff and the surrounding community, Imperial White City Outdoor Cinema offered five days of free film screenings. Each day explored a different theme inspired by Imperial’s spirit of innovation: Discovery, Intelligence, Curiosity, Exploration and Earth.
The programme was curated to offer a varied selection of films that entertained while encouraging curiosity, imagination and new ways of seeing and understanding the world.
With the event taking place at Imperial’s White City Campus, its audience extended well beyond the university. Students and staff were joined by local residents, families, visitors and members of the wider community, creating an opportunity to bring different audiences together through a shared cultural experience.
As well as the screenings themselves, the event was designed to encourage people to spend time in the space. Two food traders, a trader bar and a popcorn stand gave guests the opportunity to grab refreshments and socialise before and during the films, helping create a relaxed cinema atmosphere on Perkin’s Green.
It was an example of creative placemaking with a clear purpose: activating an outdoor space through accessible programming and creating an environment where the university and its surrounding community could come together.
Delivery
- Event production and live-site management, with a dedicated Production Manager overseeing the smooth operation of the event while live.
- Supplier sourcing and management, coordinating the different suppliers and contractors required to bring the outdoor cinema experience together.
- Acting as the key first point of contact for security and other suppliers and contractors throughout delivery.
- Overseeing supplier infrastructure and ensuring the event was set out in accordance with the agreed event site plan.
- Managing the site throughout live operations, responding to the requirements of attendees and helping maintain a welcoming and well-managed environment.
- Supporting the integration of two food traders, a trader bar and a popcorn stand, complementing the screenings and giving attendees space to eat, drink and socialise.
- Delivering an event intended for a varied audience, including Imperial students and staff, local residents, families, visitors and the wider White City community.
- Working alongside We Are OPS, who provided a dedicated Safety Advisor to support the safe delivery of the event.
- Supporting the activation of Perkin’s Green and the wider public realm, with the cinema generating additional pedestrian activity around the campus during audience arrival and departure periods.
- Bringing together suppliers, live operations and the audience experience to create a cohesive five-day placemaking London event.
Results
- Imperial College London and a-r-c-s were happy with the delivery of Imperial White City Outdoor Cinema.
- The project transformed Perkin’s Green into a free, accessible outdoor cinema environment, creating an opportunity for university and community audiences to share the space.
- The combination of film programming, refreshments and space to socialise created an experience that extended beyond the screenings themselves and encouraged audiences to spend time within the campus environment.
- The event provided an accessible cultural offer for a broad audience including students, staff, local residents, families and visitors.
