Ulster Future Island-Island - NI Science Festival

Architects of Change - workshop connecting children to nature through crafts

Jump into nature with this fun children’s workshop! With arts and crafts, team activities, and videos it’s a great way for kids to explore what nature means to them and why it’s so important to protect it.This workshop is led by the Ulster University’s Architects of Change group which aims to put the power back in children’s hands – talking to them about everything from climate change to recycling, and helping them to see how they can help save the nature around them.

Super scientists run through tech innovations – from making plastics from bird feathers to tech behind The Mandalorian

These four talks covering design, science and engineering will fly through futuristic technology used by the designers behind the Future-Island Island project. First up – exploring the same tech used for the making of The Mandalorian, which has revolutionised green screens to project moving images around actors. Then there’s how a neolithic stone axe from Rathlin has been digitised – bringing an object that is thousands of years old into the 21st century – followed by a talk on how science is changing the way we eat. Finally, we’ll hear how the researchers have been making plastics from bird feathers. A veritable buffet of science and innovation.

3-minute Theses – a sprint through PhDs

An 80,000 word PhD thesis would take nine hours to present: their time limit is 3 minutes! Come hear from Ulster University PhD researchers as they turn years of work into quick-fire summaries for the public. 3MT® was first developed by the University of Queensland, and is now a global initiative with around 80 UK universities taking part, and this is a really fun way to find out more about the research happening right on Rathlin’s doorstep.

Design solutions for future Rathlin

Professor Justin Magee from Ulster University and Professor Tom Jefferies from Queens University Belfast will show a brief snippet of work that is on show in the manor house. This ideation stage of research shares some early work from product designers and architects as they begin to tackle issues raised by the community of Rathlin. The exhibition shares sketches and visuals that are part of a live conversation of codesign with the community of Rathlin.

The birth of The Brockley axe’s ‘digital twin’ – bringing a neolithic axe into the digital age

A neolithic axe from the Brockley axe factory on Rathlin now has a ‘digital twin’, and you can come see the creation for yourself! The Belfast School of Art has 3D-scanned the axe to explore how digital assets can be used on Rathlin, and Dr Henry Melki, Lecturer in Animation and visual effects, will walk through how it was done – and how digital ‘assets’ such as this can be valuable for Rathlin and islands around the world. Here the ‘digital twin’ will be shown on the ROVAR platform.

Super scientists run through tech innovations – from making music from rubbish to clean food, energy and water on islands.

Round 2 of super science talks! Following on from the first set of four talks on Monday, these talks will continue the design, science and engineering tour of some of the background research associated with the Future Island-Island team. Want to know how your rubbish can make sweet, to turn wool and flax into materials? How biodegradable bags could make serious waves for farmers? How to make music from rubbish? Or maybe even how islands are securing clean food, energy and water? These talks have got you covered!

A first glimpse at tech approaches for Rathlin – see what designers and engineers are cooking up…

How can technology be part of a sustainable future for Rathlin? The Future Island-Island project is looking at how cutting-edge design concepts can help Rathlin, and potentially communities all over Northern Ireland, live sustainably and tackle the climate crisis. This exhibition is the first chance to take a look at what the designers and engineers are cooking up. Spoiler alert – there will be a 3D printer having a go at reproducing a familiar-looking Rathlin brooch…

Felting, knitting and weaving for kids - a chance to learn from fashion and textile designers!

Have your kids ever felt like felting? Have they been keen to knit? Or wild to weave? Well, now they have the chance to learn from the best! In this fun workshop, fashion designer Alison Gault and textile designer Anna Duffy (both lecturers at Ulster University) will show kids how to create using some of the oldest crafts in the book.