Science Gallery at King's College London to receive £7 million funding commitment

King’s College London, one of the world's leading research and teaching universities based in the heart of the capital, has today outlined its intention to open an innovative venue for science and art collaboration in London Bridge following two capital funding awards totalling £7million.

King’s College London intends to open a Science Gallery at its Guy’s Campus, one of the world’s leading centres for biomedical research, in 2015 following confirmation of funding of £3 million from the Wellcome Trust and £4 million from Guy’s and St Thomas’ Charity towards a funding target of £12 million.

A potential site of 2,000 square metres in London Bridge, at the corner of Great Maze Pond and St Thomas Street, opposite The Shard, has been identified for a space that will include exhibition galleries, a theatre, café, courtyard and informal meeting spaces as plans are progressed to open London’s newest creative space. The gallery will generate and host dynamic exhibitions, events, performances and festivals bringing science, technology and health into dialogue with the arts and design in an unprecedented way, inspiring new thinking and driving innovation.

This leading space for innovation will be free to visit, with a focus on 15-25 year olds as King’s College London continues in its aims to engage young people and inspire through collaborations between science and art. King’s College London staff will work with local communities, inviting artists and researchers to contribute ideas, experiment and work together in an environment that is intended to incubate new approaches. The gallery will showcase the work of existing developers and entrepreneurs to highlight their ideas as well as welcoming new approaches, in order to stimulate and excite visitors into seeing science and health through the lens of culture.

Science Gallery at King’s College London is a flagship project for culture at King’s under the leadership of Deborah Bull, Director of Cultural Partnerships at King's College London and previously Creative Director of London's Royal Opera House. Neuroscientist Dr Daniel Glaser has been appointed as Director of Science Gallery at King’s, which will be an interactive space where visitors contribute to the development of content. As Director, he will be responsible for the running of the gallery, bringing together artists, designers, scientists, researchers, clinicians, visitors and local communities to explore themes at the intersection of science, health care, culture and the arts.

Science Gallery at King’s College London will be part of the Global Science Gallery Network - a network of eight Science Gallery locations developed in partnership with leading universities in urban centres worldwide by 2020. Since opening in 2008, over 1.3 million people have visited Science Gallery Dublin (www.sciencegallery.com), ranking the gallery amongst the top ten free cultural attractions in Ireland.

Deborah Bull, Director, Cultural Partnerships, King's College London, said: "Culture has a key role to play in driving innovation across the College, offering new opportunities to academics, researchers and students, widening participation and engaging a broad and more diverse public with King's. With King's Cultural Institute already established on the Strand Campus, I am delighted that we are announcing today these two major funding awards, which represent a significant step towards the opening of a brand new creative space on the Guy's Campus. Science Gallery at King's - a flagship project for culture at King's - will bring together art and science in new and innovative ways, stimulating alternative perspectives and engaging a younger audience with science, health and culture. I’m very pleased to have appointed an outstanding Director in Dr Daniel Glaser and profoundly grateful to Wellcome Trust and Guy's and St Thomas' Charity for their support and for their belief in this exciting new venture.”

Dr Daniel Glaser, Director, Science Gallery at King’s College London, said: “It is incredibly exciting to be able to share our plans to open the nation’s leading venue for science and art collaboration. Science Gallery at King’s College London will give us a completely new way to engage audiences with science, art and innovation. The Gallery will be a live space where scientific themes and ideas will be explored and debated through the lens of culture by contributors and visitors. People from every background and discipline can come together to innovate, explore research and ask challenging questions, in an accessible and welcoming way. We hope that the changing locally-driven programme, which will bring science, technology and health into dialogue with the arts and design, will see visitors return regularly for free to enjoy the space and the experience.”

Clare Matterson, Director of Medical Humanities and Engagement at Wellcome Trust, said: “There is a growing appetite for innovative science-based cultural experiences, as both the Science Gallery and Dublin and our own Wellcome Collection have shown. We look forward to supporting this ambitious new gallery at King's College London, which will offer a space to explore the dynamic interface between science, health and the arts, under the leadership of Daniel Glaser, an inspiring figure in public engagement.”

Peter Hewitt, Chief Executive, Guy’s and St Thomas’ Charity, said:  “The Charity places the highest priority on health improvement and radical healthcare innovation of benefit to its local population, as well as nationally and internationally. Its investment in this agenda-changing initiative will bring health clinicians, scientists, artists and designers together on the Guy’s site to find innovative and lasting solutions to the enormous challenges facing health and healthcare over future years.”

Michael John Gorman, CEO of Science Gallery International, said: "The establishment of Science Gallery at King's College London is a clear signal of the value this world-leading university places on a creative approach to public engagement and innovation within science, health and the arts. The position of the gallery at such a high profile location at London Bridge, adjacent to Guy's Hospital, Borough Market and the Shard, should guarantee huge public interest in its programmes from the outset.

“We are delighted that with this transformative support from Wellcome Trust and the Guy's and St Thomas' Charity the gallery can be developed as a dynamic public platform for innovation, engagement and debate at the interface between science, healthcare and the arts drawing on a vibrant local community. We look forward to sharing ideas, projects and approaches between the galleries at Trinity College Dublin, King's College London and future members of the emerging Science Gallery Network as we work together to inspire and enable 15-25 year olds to become the innovators of the future and build new approaches to public engagement at the interface between the university and the city."