A Circus Soiree at the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum
Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum found itself transformed into a Big Top for a circus themed soiree.
As an event planner, being set a Circus theme can be an overwhelming task. There are so many distinctive approaches to a circus motif. From a surrealist Dream Circus Party to a more classic Victorian style. As of late, a popular approach has been to take the path of P.T. Barnum himself and go for a Greatest Showman motif. Here at Table Art, we have become masters at the craft of a Circus themed event, offering styling for whatever the take.
What we want to highlight in this blog is an event that took place at the Kelvingrove Art Gallery last year. Unique in its choice of styling, it didn’t go over the top with any particular style. Rather it carefully selected key elements and brought together this chic style to a circus party.
The Venue
Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum
The Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum is one of the most dynamic event venues in the UK. A spectacular location in the vibrant city of Glasgow. The Museum hosts extravagant receptions, banquets, gala dinners, product launches and fashion shows. At the heart of Kelvingrove you will find the centre hall, a jaw dropping event space with its superb vaulted ceiling and ornate chandeliers. The architecture of the gallery is what strikes you and the dramatic lighting effects only strengthen that. Whatever the event, Kelvingrove has a dedicated AV team that will transform the Centre Hall with whatever colour combination you desire.
One of the most alluring features to the venue is the collection of exhibits. Cabinets filled with curiosities will prove to be a talking point for guests. You can draw inspiration from those exhibits and add references to them through your choice of event décor, catering and invites.
The Centre Hall
The Centre Hall is the ideal choice for major corporate gatherings. With opulent surroundings and copious space, a gala dinner is well situated within this grand hall. We have had the privilege of decorating a great many gala dinners here and the true beauty of Kelvingrove is its chameleon like skill at adapting to any theme. Having created many a circus themed soiree here, this event last year stood out for its subtle and chic approach.
The Products
You don’t choose to host your event at the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and want it to fade into the background of a theme. You want to highlight the beauty and drama of the space while injecting a sense of the events personality with a subtle nod to your theme. That was certainly the case in this circumstance. A client chose a circus theme that was not over the top. Instead looking to compliment the venue rather than overwhelm it.
Firstly, the client carefully considered their colour spectrum. Red is the go-to choice for a circus theme. The walls of the event space features a lot of sandstone architecture so the client drew on those warm tones with the use of uplighters. Ornate columns were highlighted with rich red, orange, and amber highlights. By narrowing down the highlights to a few select tones, you are creating a classic look.
The Showman Table Centre
The centrepiece of choice was the Showman Table Centre. A simple silhouette of a circus ringmaster, these are a artful nod to the theme without being over the top. Bringing in the red highlights again, the client chose to light them in rouge. The client also chose a black light box rather than the white standard option because it better suited their table lines. You will note from the images that they had a deep red linen for their tables with black table numbers. By changing the light box colour, they have shown an impeccable attention to detail.
Light Panels
An often-forgotten spot for an event planner is the décor for a drink’s reception or entrance way. Not the case in this instance, the client chose our light panels with a Dream Circus print. The image shows our popular Zebra Print with carousel backdrop. A small series of panels, it proves to be the perfect photo backdrop for guests as they step into the event.
Final Flourish
Finally, there were some finishing touches that really made the event. Small balloon bouquets in red and gold proved to be an accent to the theme. Strategically placed around the room, the balloon bouquets were a whimsical addition that guests could take home with them at the end of the night. There was also a much-visited popcorn stand where guests could grab a pot of the sweet stuff! Again, a nice nod to the theme, it was a fun take-away gift for guests.
To Conclude
Often when someone sets a circus theme, it can be tempting to go all out with props, centres, and draping! Go big or go home right? Well in our experience, sometimes less is more. This event illustrates that beautifully. By carefully selecting the right props and centres, they have highlighted the theme without overwhelming the venue. Another wonderful feature of this event is the client’s choices, taken from various circus themes we offer. Not sticking with one look, they selected their favourite pieces and use colour to draw it all together.
A circus theme shows no sign of dimming in popularity so we will continue to develop new and innovative ways to tackle the theme. If you have a circus theme in mind, contact our team today and we will happily put together a quotation for you.
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