Families enjoy Rochdale Science Busking Extravaganza in conjunction with Gaia Rochdale

Hundreds of families enjoyed the latest Rochdale Science Initiative event at Number One Riverside in Rochdale on Sunday (28 November), despite the heavy snow.

The Rochdale Science Initiative CIC delivered a ‘science busking extravaganza’ in partnership with Aspire to Inspire Communities CIC to coincide with the thought-provoking Gaia artwork, the large replica of planet Earth currently visiting the town.

Families were entertained and educated by young science buskers displaying a range of science ‘tricks’; researchers; science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) ambassadors and special presenters, including Emma's Crazy Creatures; Wacky Jacky, of Fun Science, and Steve, of Noisy Toys.

Educators included Katherine Platt, North West regional manager of the Institute of Physics; Rohima Begum, engineer at Luxfer Mel Technologies; Kevin Burke from the Institution of Engineering and Technology; Khadijah Ismail, an aerospace engineering apprentice at BAE Systems; Zeeshan Javid, graduate of Civil Engineering from the University of Leeds; and Saud Humayun, a mechatronics engineering student at the University of Manchester.

The Rochdale Science Initiative CIC spent a month training 18 secondary school aged children and six adults to become science buskers, showcasing everything from static electricity and constructing towers with marshmallows, toothpicks and skewers, to lava lamps, invisibility tricks, body tricks, pH scales and creating chain reactions with popsicle sticks.

The Rochdale Science Initiative aims to create inclusive science engagement opportunities and inspire future generations into science, technology, engineering, and maths (STEM) studies to develop their passion and change the future.