Stemettes, The Poetry Society and 59 Productions are back in Hull for free fun-filled STEAM activities this autumn

Stemettes and The Poetry Society, in collaboration with 59 Productions, are delighted to be returning to Hull for a day of hands-on STEAM sessions for the whole family and open to the public on Wednesday 26 October, 10am-4pm.

Commissioned as part of UNBOXED: Creativity in the UK, About Us Now – Hull will involve physical STEAM learning activities planned for ages 7 – 25 to encourage participants to learn skills such as 3D modelling, illustration, HTML and poetry development.

About Us Now – Hull
is part of About Us, the first in a series of ten sensational projects commissioned as part of UNBOXED: Creativity in the UK, a ground-breaking UK-wide celebration of creativity in 2022. Earlier in March this year, we organised spectacular light shows in Queen Victoria Square, transforming the historic location into a vast canvas combining awe-inspiring live projection-mapped animation with poetry, music, and beautiful live choral singing to create a unique spectacle.

About Us Now – Hull is a continuation of our commitment to locations we previously visited, taking place in Paisley, Derry-Londonderry, Bangor, Luton and Hull during October and November 2022. We want to hear from the young people who took part in the light shows and give them unique opportunities to try future focussed hands-on STEAM activities for themselves.

On the day we will celebrate STEAM learning with the aim to build skills and encourage young people to collaborate in Hull and surrounding areas. The event will build on the About Us project theme of connection and exploring our shared story from the Big Bang to the present day. Participants will have the opportunity to learn about STEAM roles and opportunities in Hull. They will be split into groups based on their age; one primary, two secondary and one for ages 18 – 25. Primary aged children will have the option to take part in half a day or the full day. Additional offerings include mentoring, free certification academies, downloadable STEAM career guidance resources and the chance to become part of a supportive STEAM community.

There will also be an evening panel event running on the same day aimed at young people, stakeholders and industry partners in Hull exploring next steps in developing STEAM talent in local areas.

We are currently running the About Us competition, inviting young people across England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales to enter a poem or animation Scratch project – or to enter both – around the theme of ‘connectivity and the universe’ reflecting on the many ways in which life across the universe is interwoven. The competition closes on 7th September. Participants can win Raspberry Pis, 3D Doodle pens, poetry books as well as mentoring and publication opportunities. Winners will also be invited to attend the About Us Now events and we will celebrate their work at each occasion.

About Us Now follows on from About Us and has been developed in collaboration with poets and scientists across the UK. The project involves large-scale public events for all ages that tell the story of the infinite ways in which we are connected to the universe, natural world, and one another from the Big Bang to the present day. In February, Stemettes and The Poetry Society delivered Scratch coding and poetry workshops in primary schools across Hull, showcasing the meeting points between science, technology and poetry.

Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon MBE, Co-founder and CEO of Stemettes said: “I’m excited to be serving the local community in Hull and to be bringing the arts and STEM together for young ones to explore their creativity and place in the world. New skills, good food and fun connections to peers and role models are guaranteed!”

Judith Palmer, Director, The Poetry Society, said: “We’re delighted to be working with even more young people this autumn from Hull, with an exciting interactive programme of events harnessing young people’s creativity. About Us celebrates the creativity at the heart of both STEM subjects and poetry; these events are a chance for young people to explore how these disciplines intersect, to learn about career pathways in STEAM, and to try their hand at modelling, design and poetry writing. We can’t wait to see what young people create in this next phase of the project.”

Lysander Ashton, Project Director, About Us and Director, 59 Productions, said: “59 Productions are really excited to continue the work after the spectacular shows earlier in the year and to dive deeper into the incredible stories of how connected we all are.”

About Us Now is a collaboration between 59 Productions – the award-winning design studio and production company who created the video design for the London 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremony; Stemettes – the award-winning social enterprise working to bring young women and non-binary young people into Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) careers; and The Poetry Society – one of the UK’s most dynamic arts organisations.

Further information on About Us Now can be found at aboutus.earth