 London's South
Bank
The Festival of Britain
Life
in Britain in 1951 was fairly bleak. Wartime rationing continued,
bombsites were an everyday experience and people were still
suffering from the losses of friends, family and lovers during
the Second World War.
To
counteract this mood and to lift the spirits of the nation The
Festival of Britain was conceived. It opened in May 1951 and
ran until September of the same year. The focus of the Festival
was the South Bank of the Thames in London. New buildings, including
the Royal Festival Hall, were constructed and inside the story
of Britain and its achievements were told.
Royal
Festival Hall
This was the only building constructed for the Festival of Britain
designed to remain after the festival ended. It was the first
major public construction to be built since the the Second World
War, took 20 months to
build and cost £2 million. It was also the first post-war
building to be listed.
The first concert took place
on the 3rd May 1951 and, naturally enough for the start of the
Festival of Britain, the works performed were by British composers
including by Elgar, Purcell, Arne and Vaughan Williams. Sir
Adrian Boult and Sir Malcolm Sargent conducted the orchestra.
Today it is an important concert
venue attracting major artists from all over the world.
As well as concerts, it is a venue for dance, talks and
the visual arts.
The Hayward Gallery
This art gallery is not one of
London's better loved buildings. It's brutalist architecture
wins it few friends. It was opened by the Queen on 9th July
1968 and was named after Sir Isaac Hayward, a former leader
of the London County Council.
As well as having responsibility
for the Arts Council Collection of over 7000 works of art including
paintings, sculpture, photographs and installations. These are
on loan to museums and galleries all over the country.
The Hayward Gallery has regular
exhibitions of classical and contemporary art with particular
emphasis on current British and foreign artists.
Quick
Facts on the South Bank Centre
Location:
By Waterloo Bridge on the South Bank
Nearest Tube: Waterloo
on the Northern, Jubilee and Bakerloo Lines
Nearest Rail Station: Waterloo
Telephone: 020 7921 0600
Copyright © 2001 by Carol Fisher.
The London
Eye
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