EA Festival x Battersea Power Station Present ‘Avatars of Style’ With Tristram Hunt And More In Control Room A

EA Festival x Battersea Power Station: Avatars of Style is a one-day cultural festival on Tuesday 17th October 2023
Tristram Hunt, Jimi Famurewa and Susie Bubble are amongst speakers set to discuss art, fashion, food, literature and lifestyle in a series of three curated conversations
The event will be hosted in Control Room A, the 1930s control room where power was once distributed across London, providing a rare opportunity for the public to see inside the Art Deco masterpiece

On Tuesday 17th October 2023, members of the public will have the rare opportunity to explore Control Room A, the 1930s Art Deco masterpiece where power was once distributed across London, for a series of cultural interviews and panel discussions at EA Festival x Battersea Power Station: Avatars of Style.

The event features a series of talks with creative leaders in art, fashion, food, literature and lifestyle. Speakers at the event include Tristram Hunt, director of the Victoria and Albert Museum, and a panel talk on ‘Fashion – Past, Present & Future’, looking at how fashion has changed dramatically over the past decade. ‘Lagos x London’ will complete the line-up with three Nigerian-British cultural influencers including Jimi Famurewa exploring the burgeoning influence of Nigerian culture across the UK and the globe.

Hosted in a space bursting with heritage and culture, guests are invited to discover Control Room A with its original controls and dials, where power was once distributed across the capital from Carnaby Street to Wimbledon – even powering Buckingham Palace and the Houses of Parliament. Built between 1929 and 1931, Control Room A is a marvel of Art Deco design, with a teak parquet flooring laid in a herringbone pattern and walls tiled in grey Italian marble, offset by black Belgian marble detailing through the room, matched by a gold painted coffered glass ceiling.

Control Room A is a unique events space within Battersea Power Station, the Grade II* listed landmark, which opened to the public in October 2022 as a new cultural, retail and leisure destination. At the heart of a new 42-acre riverside neighbourhood, visitors can now explore inside the restored Power Station for the first time, and enjoy over 100 shops, bars and restaurants, as well as one-of-a-kind leisure experiences including Lift109, a unique chimney lift experience which transports visitors 109m to the top of the building’s north-west chimney offering stunning 360 degree views of the London skyline.

EA Festival is the premier ideas and performing arts festival in the East of England and takes place every summer at Hedingham Castle located on the border of Essex and Suffolk. Known for the calibre of its speakers and its smorgasbord-style approach to programming, EA Festival events range widely, from literature to regenerative agriculture and spoken word, and hosts events year-round throughout East Anglia. Partnering with Battersea Power Station, Avatars of Style is the first occasion this event will be hosted in London.

Kate Boothman-Meier, Head of Communications & Marketing at Battersea Power Station Development Company (BPSDC), said:
“Since opening the Power Station in October last year, we have welcomed more than eight million people, which reflects the huge demand we are seeing to explore this unique landmark, and the interest in its remarkable history and exciting future. As one of the most culturally significant buildings in London, saved from ruin after years of failed development, this is a fitting setting to bring together cultural leaders across multiple disciplines to discuss a variety of engaging topics.”

Joanne Ooi, Founder of EA Festival, said:
“EA Festival is thrilled to be partnering with Battersea Power Station. The Power Station is a historic, cultural icon that’s emblematic of London’s dynamism and creative leadership. Thus, it’s a very fitting location to showcase some of the city’s and, indeed, the globe’s, top leaders in culture. The event also gives us an opportunity to bring a slice of what we do in East Anglia to London.”

Alongside the series of talks, guests will also have the opportunity for a guided tour of Battersea Power Station following each session, shining a light on the landmark’s history and its inspiring transformation.
Travelling to this new riverside neighbourhood couldn’t be easier with the Zone 1 Battersea Power Station Underground station bringing it within 15 minutes of the West End and the City. Battersea Power Station also has its very own Uber Boat by Thames Clippers pier and is a 15-minute journey from Embankment, 20 minutes from Blackfriars, 30 minutes from Putney and 40 minutes from Canary Wharf. The riverside neighbourhood is easily accessible by bus, bike, car and train too.

Tickets for EA Festival x Battersea Power Station: Avatars of Style are now available at: https://www.eafestival.com/

Tickets are priced at £15 per session, with the option to add a free 30-minute tour of the Power Station.