Empire Retold: Augmented Reality Guided Walk
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Empire Retold: Augmented Reality Guided Walk

By School of Innovation and Technology

Discover untold stories of people and places affected by the British Empire with this augmented reality guided walk in Bellahouston Park.

Date and time

Location

The Palace of Art, Bellahouston Park

1121 Paisley Rd West Bellahouston Glasgow G52 1EQ United Kingdom

Good to know

Highlights

  • 1 hour, 30 minutes
  • In person

About this event

Discover untold stories of people and places affected by the British Empire with this augmented reality guided walk.

In 1938, a huge British Empire Exhibition took place in Bellahouston Park, Glasgow. This was the last Empire Exhibition and an important but less well-known part of British history. The 'Empire Retold' augmented reality guided walk showcases new research about this 1938 event.

This guided walk will use an Augmented Reality app within Bellahouston Park, Glasgow. Bring your mobile phone and headphones (or borrow ours) [Phone and headphones, or just headphones available to borrow?] to experience one of three narratives which reveal the colonial histories of places within Bellahouston.

Please download the app in advance:

  1. Meet opposite the Palace of Art at 10.45am for help setting up and using the app. Exact location is https://maps.app.goo.gl/D3t1LnqJKSfyQscq6
  2. The guided walk will begin promptly at 11am.
  3. We will walk as a group, listening to one story. This will take around one hour.
  4. You can return to Bellahouston to play through the other two stories at another time.

The tour has been created as an experience to go alongside the Empire Retold exhibition, which is also free to visit.

This event is part of Being Human Festival, the UK’s national festival of the humanities, taking place 6 - 15 November 2025. Led by the School of Advanced Study, University of London, with generous support from Research England, in partnership with the Arts and Humanities Research Council and the British Academy. For further information please see beinghumanfestival.org.

Frequently asked questions

Can I borrow a mobile phone and headphones for this?

We have a very small number of devices available to borrow if you do not have a phone which will install the app yourself. You must email D.Abbott@gsa.ac.uk in advance to book a borrowed device.

is the tour suitable for wheelchairs?

Yes, however in some sections you will need to take an alternative route, we will help guide you to the correct route.

Will the guided tour happen if it is raining?

Yes, unless there is a weather warning. Please dress appropriately and bring good shoes. The GPS may be affected in bad weather but we will give it a go!

Where exactly are we meeting at 10.45?

We will meet opposite the Palace of Art, just at the entrance to the park. You should be able to see the Palace of Art steps from where you are standing. Here is a map pin: https://maps.app.goo.gl/D3t1LnqJKSfyQscq6 and the what3words location is ///rocky.stuff.tricks

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School of Innovation and Technology

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Free
Nov 8 · 10:45 AM GMT