Expo 2020

Project description:

KCA London was commissioned to develop a suite of visitor programmes for Dubai Expo’s host pavilions. Ranging from tours to science shows, the aim was to bring the pavilions’ content to life in ways that would be engaging and relevant for different audiences, enriching and enlivening the overall visitor experience during the Expo and in legacy.

The first part of our commission focused on Terra, the Sustainability Pavilion. We worked with the client team to review this unique pavilion’s content and spaces and identify which types of programmes would support both their educational aims and the smooth running of the pavilion. We then developed 19 different programmes, producing detailed scripts and staff resources, designing and supplying props and costumes, and carrying out five weeks of facilitator training. The final suite of programmes included themed tours, trolley-based science demos, school and family workshops, SEN tours and resources, and a full-scale science show for teenagers.

Our work on Terra was interrupted by COVID. We worked closely with the client throughout this period, reviewing how COVID would affect the design and the operation of the programmes, and adapting scripts, props and staff guidance accordingly.

The programmes were delivered to audiences throughout the Expo and are now part of Terra’s permanent visitor offer. We were then asked to develop ten more schools and family workshops for the other host pavilions, ready for their reopening as permanent visitor attractions.