The King Æthelstan Project is proud to partner with the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames to support Kingston 2025 — a landmark cultural programme commemorating the 1100th anniversary of King Æthelstan’s coronation at Kingston Market.
In late April, we welcomed Scott Furlong, Corporate Head of Culture and Heritage and Programme Director for Kingston 2025, and his team, to a live demonstration of our mixed reality experience at Kingston University’s award-winning Town House. They expressed real enthusiasm for the project, recognising its potential to become a flagship feature in the borough’s heritage celebrations. This promising start led to an immediate follow-up meeting and the beginning of an exciting collaboration.
Our second meeting, held online in May, brought together the Kingston 2025 events team — Nadia Gockeman, Emma Humphries (Event Officers), and Chris Foord (Heritage Outreach Officer), along with Scott, Alan, and Jarek (Project Lead). The response from the Royal Borough of Kingston team was incredibly positive. There was particular excitement about our use of mixed reality technology, which offers a more accessible and engaging alternative to traditional VR.
Together, we began shaping two major public events for Kingston 2025:
- Preview Event – Saturday 19 July at the Ancient Market House, featuring a formal presentation, live XR demonstrations, and a chance to meet the team — including, we hope, our sculptor Andrew Sinclair.
- Main Showcase – Sunday 27 July at Canbury Gardens, during the Saxon Re-enactment Weekend. We’ll be based at the bandstand, sharing the King Æthelstan experience with the public throughout the day.
A third planning session quickly followed, this time on-site. We visited both event locations — the Ancient Market House and the Canbury Gardens bandstand — with Kathryn Woodvine, Emma Humphries, and Nadia Gockeman from Kingston Council. Representing our team were Alan Birkinshaw, Matteo Marelli (our newest developer), and the project lead. We are pleased to confirm that both venues offer ideal settings for presenting our mixed reality showcase celebrating Kingston’s Saxon heritage.
With venues secured and planning well underway, we’re excited to contribute a bold, innovative strand to the Kingston 2025 programme — uniting history, technology, and community.
In the meantime, our development team is focused on Phase 2, enhancing the experience with animation, spatial sound, and AI-powered storytelling. We’re working hard to ensure the King Æthelstan Project reaches the highest standard in time for its public debut in July 2025.