Open House Festival Curatorial Criteria
What is this?
The curatorial criteria aims to lay out what the festival team looks for when approving open days or events. This should help you plan your open day or event, and make sure that you and your visitors get the most out of the experience. The criteria will be the basis for any feedback the festival team shares with contributors during the application process. If you can get a few of these elements into your open day or event, you should not only move through the application process more easily, but create a truly remarkable and enjoyable contribution to the festival, doing your bit to make London more open and accessible.
What are we looking for?
The festival team is looking for open days and events that champion the festival’s mission of giving people access to spaces they wouldn’t otherwise be able to get into; creating opportunities for people to learn from and about buildings, infrastructure, landscapes, and from each other; celebrating great architecture and the people who live and work in it, and care for it. Contributors should find ways of weaving this mission into their event.
Homes and residences
Please note, the festival team recognises that opening a home or residence is a particularly unique and special thing to do, plus space and resources can be limited. Therefore, if you are planning on opening your home, please note that the examples of additional details are not essential, but you might find them a useful source of inspiration.
Scoring system
Your open day or event will be scored by the festival team against the curatorial criteria to ensure that contributors are championing the aims of the festival.
All contributors need to get a minimum score of 3 in order to have their application approved to be part of the 2024 festival.
Our simplified scoring system indicates a score of 0,1, or 2 against each section. It is available below so that contributors can self-score as they complete their expression of interest and application forms to be in with the best chance of being approved straight away.
Contributors can champion the festival's mission of being open by letting people into a space or building they wouldn't otherwise be able to get into, or giving them a different experience to what they would normally have in that space or building.
Opening up
The ways you can open up
Letting people into a free space that is accessible to the public throughout the year.
Score 0
Letting people into a space they would not otherwise be able to get into.
Score 2
Letting people into part of, or an area of, a building they would not otherwise be able to get into.
Score 2
Letting people into a space for free that they would normally be charged for.
Score 2
Learning
Contributors do not need to be architectural historians or academics to be part of the festival. But, contributors should champion ‘learning’ by having something interesting to share with visitors so that they go away having learnt something from their visit. This should be a combination of the architecture and design, the history, social or cultural significance of the space and about the people who work, live or care for the space.
Do some research and get a better understanding of the key things about your space and also think about why you like it, and why you think it’s worth sharing. You can then use this to populate the ‘About’ section of the form.
Ways to champion learning
An interesting and detailed ‘About’ section in your application form that details your building or event, architecture or urban design, its history and social or cultural significance.
Score 1
Run a workshop or talk. This can be related to the building or a particular theme that is associated with the building or space.
Score 2
If available, you can open up and exhibit archives of your building or organisation. This is a great way for visitors to learn about the history and social significance of your space.
Score 2
Giving tours of the building or space.
Score 2
Run a walking tour (i.e. of the public realm) focusing on a particular theme, typology, history etc of an area which champions or examines its architecture and/or built environment.
Score 2
Animation
There are many different ways you can animate your building or space. On the whole, your event should have a sense of occasion.
If feasible, programming additional activities are a sure-fire way to make an occasion of your open day. This can include performance art, talks, partnering with local artists, workshops and car-free street-based activities. We understand that this will not be possible for everyone, but it is particularly key if you’re opening a space or building that is accessible to the public year-round, or if you are a commercially run space.
Different ways of animating your space
Performance art such as live music or dance performances.
Score 2
Talks with the architect or designer, or about the history and design of your space.
Score 2
Partnering with local artist(s) to set up an exhibition of their work.
Score 2
Running a workshop or other activity.
Score 2
Different forms of animation that are not mentioned above. Please detail what it is in your expression of interest and application forms.
Score 2
Accessibility
Creating additional provisions to a building or space to make it more accessible and inclusive to people who would otherwise experience barriers to accessing it, such as providing BSL interpreters for visitors and volunteers.
This can include providing
BSL interpreted tours
Score 1
Hearing loops
Score 1
Large print guides
Score 1
Loan wheelchairs
Score 1
Audio guide/description
Score 1