A Shedload of Science returned in 2016, bringing chemistry to the streets of Glasgow and beyond, led by Glasgow Science Festival and funded by the Royal Society of Chemistry. Find out about the project and follow the shed's journey through the photos and experiments.
The Shed returned to five primary schools in North Glasgow with a new set of playground experiments to captivate the minds over 1,700 pupils.
We took A Shedload of Science on a tour of festivals and community gala days, reaching new audiences with our mix of art and science activities.
Over 6 weeks in autumn, we worked with three community groups on a programme of tailored events allowing them to further explore chemistry in their everyday lives.
A Shedload Story - Introduction
A Shedload of Science returned in 2016, bringing chemistry to the streets of Glasgow and beyond, with a focus on typically underserved areas. Throughout the summer of 2016, local community artists, practitioners, youth workers and scientists worked together with communities to deliver a unique programme of free events and workshops that explored chemistry in our everyday lives. Thanks to the Royal Society of Chemistry for their support of A Shedload of Science 2016.
Over the summer we engaged with over ten thousand people.
- We worked closely with five local primary schools, each week taking our Shedload of experiments into their playgrounds to the delight of the pupils and teachers.
- Working with three community groups over a course of six weeks we developed and delivered a programme of art-science workshops tailored to each groups interests.
- We popped up at 7 gala days and events with tailor made activities such as our CO2 fire extinguishers at Cowcaddens firestation as part of doors open day.
- We developed 'A Shed load of Experiments' kitboxes which were gifted to selected community groups, along with training on how to best work with the boxes, enabling them to deliver the activities within thier communities far into the future.
By continuing to connect researchers to communities, A Shedload of Science enabled people to get ‘hands-on’ discovering the amazing chemistry which underpins our everyday life - and have fun along the way!
Festivals and Gala Days
We brought our art-science activities to community gala days across North Glasgow and beyond bringing chemistry based fun to audiences that may not usually take part in science activities.
The festivals and gala days the Shed popped up in were:
- Cadder Community Festival
- Firhill Gala Day - Queens Cross Housing Association
- Concrete Gardens Harvest Festival at Possilpark
- Lambhill Stables Community Centre open day
- Castlemilk Park owl day
We also were part of two larger festivals, European researchers night: Explorathon and Glasgow Doors Open Day allowing us to experiment in unusual venues such as the tall ship and a Cowcaddens firestation!
Participants had the chance to try a wide range of activities including fizzy lemon volcanoes and deep space spray murals. They learned 'All About Owls', flouresent fruit flies and how to make their own mini fire extinguisher.
Harvest Festival
Tall Ship
All About Owls
Schools
Over the course of three weeks a Shedload of Science toured 6 primary schools where we delivered a series of lunchtime science activities, each day with a different chemistry based theme.
We based the activities in the playground (or gym hall when the Glasgow weather doing its thing), which meant it was the pupils choice to come and spend their lunchtimes engaging with chemistry. And they did, we had 1770 pupils take part in our activities over the three weeks!
The activities proved popular with over 94.5% of children questioned telling us they were ‘very happy’ or ‘happy’ with how they feel about chemistry. Over 92% said that they had learned something new from the activities.
We investigated bubbles, blowing giant bubbles spanning several meters above the pupils heads and even tried making square bubbles. We had fun with hydrophobic liquids, including making fizzing lava lamps. On the third day we focused on the chemistry of colour, mixing colourful paint pockets and spinning colours.
Lava Lamps
Lunch Time Science
Spinning Colour Wheel
Community Groups
Working with our team of artists and researchers we developed a 6-week science-based programme tailored to the needs of 3 community groups. Youth groups; Y-sort-it in Clydebank and Lambhill Stables in Glasgow, and an adult arts group in Possilpark. Working closely with the groups over repeated sessions allowed us to build strong relationships and develop meaningful content with the group members. Again, the adult art group was only able to meet because of the funding from this project offering a valuable resource to those who came.
The groups explored a variety of topics highlighting science and chemistry in their everyday lives. We had researcher led plankton-art workshops, harvest themed mural printmaking, 3D model making and kitchen chemistry amongst the topics on offer and requested.
A large part of A Shedload of Science 2016 was the development of community Kitboxes. Working with the Concrete Gardens we held community group training sessions to ‘train the trainers’ from invited community groups such including afterschool clubs, community gardens and youth groups. This approach allows the ‘A Shedload of Experiments’ activities to reach thousands of users across Glasgow and beyond.
The kits include instructions and equipment to complete a variety of experiments including Microscope skills, making bath bombs and sweetie chromatography.
Robot Models
Kit Box Training
Plankton Workshop
