The annual Festival of Communities celebrates everything that makes east London a fantastic place to live and work. Hosted by Queen Mary University of London and Tower Hamlets community groups and organisations, the festival allows visitors to engage with exciting research through games, sports, crafts and other family friendly activities and events.
The festival will run over two days from Saturday 11th to Sunday 12th June. The first day will take place in Stepney Green Park, with the Sunday’s events taking place at Queen Mary’s Mile End campus. Attendance is free.
With a huge range of initiatives showcased, there are endless opportunities for people to get involved with some of the most innovative research happening at Queen Mary. Visitors can build their own robots, enter the world of virtual reality, make their own robotic gripper, construct batteries from fruits and vegetables, and discover sleep remedies from 500 years ago. There are also origami lessons and various challenges to test your smell and sight, with research from across the University on display.
There is also the chance to try interactive Thai boxing, get involved in a game of 5-a-side football, or play a life-sized game of operation, to name a but a handful of activities available. There are a wide range of groups from across Tower Hamlets that will be showcasing initiatives and projects at the event, including the Literacy Pirates, the Ocean Regeneration Trust, Whitechapel Gallery, and the London Innovation Society.
Sarah Barnes, Head of Public Engagement at Queen Mary said: “We are really proud of the excellent activities this year from across the University and the wider borough for two days of fun for people of all ages. With so much fantastic work happening at Queen Mary, it’s really exciting to be able to share this alongside activities from local community organisations and groups.
“This year’s Festival promises to be incredibly special – our last had over 3,500 visitors and we encourage everyone to come along if they can with so much to do and see.”
For more information on the Festival of Communities, visit the festival website.
For media information, contact:
Queen Mary University of London
Mile End Road
London E1 4NS
+44 (0) 20 7882 5555