Venue spotlight
A night at the Science Museum
This year, London’s Science Museum is celebrating five years of its marvellously modern event space, Illuminate. I popped along to an intimate spring-themed dinner to find out what the Science Museum can do for your events.
Fond memories from school trips to the Science Museum came flooding back as I left South Kensington tube station and stepped onto Exhibition Road.
Whether you’ve been to the Science Museum a hundred times or you’re visiting for the first time, there’s something thrilling about entering a place of innovation. In fact, in 1931, the Science Museum became the first London Museum to open a gallery specifically for children to touch, play, engage and learn.
This inclusive ethos runs deep through the museum and into the trusted suppliers who collaborate with the museum to curate spectacular events.
'Revealing the Wonder of the Science Museum’ began in the Smith Centre and Courtyard, a beautifully preserved Victorian building, lined with gleaming metro tiles and plenty of glass to let the light stream through. This space can accommodate up to 200 standing and 80 for a seated dinner.
True to the evening’s Spring theme, Lavender Green, a Chelsea-based florist, curated enchanting ombre floral displays for each event space, elevating an already warm and welcoming atmosphere. As with every event that Lavender Green dresses, after the event, all the flowers would be donated to an array of local charities and organisations.
Illuminate’s exclusive catering partner, Moving Venue, showcased the wonders of seasonal produce throughout the evening, kicking off with the asparagus bar during the cocktail hour. “We’re keen on showcasing seasonal, local products in our menus,” Science Museum’s head chef, Alistair Riley explained as he plated up two perfectly grilled spears and drizzled them with champagne butter sauce.
When every spear of asparagus had been consumed we moved to level 4 of Illuminate where a film highlighting the museum’s mission and values was projection-mapped onto the walls by White Light. At the heart of the Science Museum is innovation, which is reflected in its core values: Think Big, Reveal Wonder, Ignite Curiosity, Be Open For All and Share Authentic Stories. The film highlighted these values, underscoring the museum's commitment to breaking down barriers in STEM and delivering exceptional experiences for all.
A two-course, seated supper in Illuminate, a private event space on the fifth floor of the Science Museum thyme roasted butternut squash, crushed peas and potato tartare, and a peach raspberry and verbena bombe followed. Each mouthful as delicate, delightful and delicious as the last.
Between courses, Sternberg Clarke, one of the UK’s leading entertainment providers, put on a mesmerising showcase with performances from the most talented hula-hooper I’ve had the glee of watching. Then an exceptionally limber contortionist made her way into the middle of the stage. Awe and astonishment quietened all the guests as she began bowing her legs backwards over her head, akin to an elegantly choreographed adaption of Franz Kafka’s Metamorphosis.
Lastly, we were treated to an operatic version of David Guetta’s Titanium before sipping digestif espresso Martins to top off the evening.
Jodie Guilford, business development and marketing manager at the Science Museum, said: “We wanted to create a special celebratory evening for clients old and new to not only showcase our event spaces and the opportunity to take over the entire museum for exclusive events but more importantly to share what our clients’ support means to the museum and how they contribute to our wider mission and values."
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