Moon Palace lands at Queen Mary: a cosmic celebration of science, art and community
Queen Mary’s School of Physical and Chemical Sciences recently hosted Moon Palace at its Mile End campus for a two-day programme blending astronomy, creativity and community engagement.
Moon Palace is a stunning artwork and observatory, formerly a school bus, transformed into a mobile 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
At the heart of the visit was the aim to empower Queen Mary students. Through hands-on sessions inside and around Moon Palace, students explored how creative and artistic approaches can make science more accessible, inclusive and engaging for diverse audiences.
Evening Event with London Moonsighters
In collaboration with the London Moonsighters during the month of Ramadan, this evening 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
School 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.
Our heartfelt thanks go to everyone involved, students, staff, alumni, schools, families, partners, Queen Mary’s Centre for Public Engagement and the incredible Moon Palace team, for making the visit such a memorable success!