Each year The University of Manchester throws open its doors for local friends and neighbours to discover the variety of work happening at the University. This free day is jam-packed with activities for all the family, including interactive demonstrations, musical and drama performances, and behind the scenes tours.
The University of Manchester Community Festival offers an inviting, informal space for visitors to meet staff, students and community partners.
The Henry Royce Institute will invite guests into our Hub Building for a variety of fun-filled activities presented by building residents and partners including Royce, Discover Materials, the Sustainable Materials Innovation (SMI) Hub, the National Centre for X-Ray Computed Tomography (NXCT), the SAFER Group and the National Graphene Institute.
A programme of activities at the Royce Hub Building for the University of Manchester Community Festival can be seen below:
- Visit the Royce Hub Building
The Henry Royce Institute is the UK’s national institute for advanced materials research and innovation. Join us in the Royce Hub Building to learn about advanced materials and materials science and their real-world applications. - Discover Materials
Discover new materials through interactive science boxes. Open the box to find different objects on display and learn about the materials around you. Take away a pack of materials playing cards! - Discovering Structural Integrity (SAFER Group)
Do you like playing Minecraft, or building and breaking things? In engineering, we call that coding, measuring, designing and testing. Our hands-on activities will introduce you to how these interests lend themselves to a career in Structural Integrity. This Engineering area is an exciting and in-demand career option with many access routes. Find out what it is, how to get into it, and have some fun exploring how it helps us live every day. - The Lemonade Stand (SMI Hub)
Plastic has useful properties in many applications – it is low energy, low cost, lightweight, durable, and in many instances reduces food waste, prevents disease and keeps us breathing. However, once plastic is used and its value extracted, it becomes a problem. Researchers at the SMI Hub help to create solutions that allow plastics to be recycled over and over again. Join us at our Lemonade stand to learn about the impact of different materials on products you use every day. - Learn about X-rays (NXCT)
NXCT is the UK’s National Research Facility for lab-based X-ray Computed Tomography. Join us in the Royce Hub building to learn more about X-rays and their impact on materials science. - Graphene, the material of the future!
Graphene is the first one-atom-thick material, discovered at the University of Manchester. It is currently explored for many applications, ranging from functional textiles up to transparent electronics and space technologies. Join us for table-top activities, where you will have the opportunity to produce wonderful materials out of graphite, while our scientists illustrate some of its outstanding properties.
