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Moon Palace lands at Queen Mary: a cosmic celebration of science, art and community

This March, the Centre for Public Engagement and the School of Physical and Chemical Sciences came together to host a two-day programme blending astronomy, creativity, and community engagement.

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A woman takes a picture of a child holding figurines of planetsFor two days, the large scale artwork and mobile observatory Moon Palace joined us on campus. Once a school bus, Moon Palace was transformed into a space for creativity, science, and community connection.

The School of Physical and Chemical Sciences worked with the University of Leeds, Durham University, and University of Hertfordshire, alongside East Leeds Project, funded by The Ogden Trust’s Collaborative Grant, to bring astronomy and culture to local communities and to develop the interdisciplinary skills of physics students through an arts‑science engagement approach.

The two-day Moon Palace visit included:

Building Skills in Creative Engagement

A child wearing goggles and holding a vial of red liquid speaks with an adult Through hands-on sessions inside and around Moon Palace, students, staff and alumni explored how creative and artistic approaches can make science more accessible, inclusive and engaging for diverse audiences. These activities gave Queen Mary colleagues the chance to share their research with primary school children as well as engaging interested parents, carers and teachers. 

The Crescent & The Cosmos with London Moonsighters

In collaboration with the London Moonsighters during the month of Ramadan, this evening event brought together cultural celebration and scientific curiosity. Attendees gathered for Iftar, followed by an engaging talk on the expansion of the universe by a Queen Mary physics student, and a spoken word poetry performance. The evening continued with a cup of cosmic tea on board Moon Palace, alongside observational activities.

Creative Science and Art Activity Day

A child laughs and shoots a bubble gun at two adultsSchool groups and home-educated families joined us to visit Moon Palace and take part in our STEAM activity fair. The programme featured a variety of hands-on activities led by Queen Mary staff, students and alumni, from decorating biscuits to represent relativity to shooting down non-self antigens with bubble guns, writing positive affirmations and making bracelets with UV beads.

Alongside these activities, the SEND Parent Ambassadors ran a sensory room. By creating a safe and stimulating space, the network ensured the event was inclusive of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities. This was an important as last year, the Centre for Public Engagement conducted a community consultation and the community wanted more engagement and support for local community members with SEND, so it was great to have the network supporting this event to be inclusive.

A group of adults cheer in front of a bus painted like the night sky named Our heartfelt thanks go to everyone involved, students, staff, alumni, schools, families, partners, the School of Physical and Chemical Sciences and the incredible Moon Palace team, for making the visit such a memorable success.

 

 

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