Engaging with the Local Community


1,000 people attended the Lewes STEM Festival in 2018, where a wide range of activities were demonstrated to the local community by the local community, including students from the local universities and members of specialist societies in the region.

The Brighton Luminarium will be embedded within the local community in a number of ways.

  • School and educational groups will visit the centre daily throughout the school year, taking part in workshops that link directly to the school curriculum.
  • Adult education courses will be offered on topics connected to the centre (e.g. astronomy, history and photography courses).
  • Community groups will use the classroom for meetings and events (such as local astronomical societies).
  • Local artists will provide a range of temporary exhibitions at the centre (e.g. during the Brighton Fringe festival).

Local volunteers will be involved in the project from the outset, helping with the selection of artifacts for display in the Pioneer zone for example, and once opened, volunteers will lead tours and assist visitors around the centre, gaining valuable skills.

The Astronomy and Quantum Zones will connect the local community with world-leading scientists based at Brighton's two universities, while university students and members of local astronomy societies will support public events - as they already do for events at the University of Sussex (e.g., Stargazing Live, Lewes STEM fair, etc). Knowledgeable university students will also be employed over the summer to cater for the busy holiday seasons, which will greatly boost their experience and employability, especially for those interested in pursuing a career in teaching on the completion of their degrees.