The main daytime conference and evening afterparty will take place in The Octagon at Queen Mary, University of London (http://www.octagon-venue.com/). In the evening, we will transform the Octagon into an afterparty with serveral interactive and participatory performances and installations taking place. Download the layout for the evening afterparty here.

Built in 1888, the Octagon was modelled on the Reading Room of the British Library (now the British Museum) and was formerly contained within the famous East End People's Palace. The foundation stone of the building was laid by His Majesty Leopold II, King of the Belgians and received much fanfare from the local press at the time of the Launch. The Octagon originally housed a public library for London's East End community, but closed due to lack of funds in 1902. In 1921 East London College took charge of the Octagon building and created a library for the use of students.

Intensive work began in 2005 to restore the Octagon to its former glory including roof repairs, new ornate plasterwork and the installation of modern kitchen facilities.With the Victorian fixtures beautifully restored, and modern audiovisual equipment installed, the Octagon is now a premier venue for conferences and events. Click here for detailed maps of how to get to the Octagon.

If you require specific technical details about the building, please contact our Stage Manager Adam Sherd (adamsheard81 AT hotmail.com). More images below.

Layout of the Octagon for the evening event. More images below.
Staircase leading up to the walkways.	Speakers located underneath the walkways.
View looking up at the ceiling.	Cabaret style layout of the Octagon.