Brighton Luminarium

Project collaborators

The following organisations are involved in the Brighton Luminarium project proposal.

The Volk’s Electric Railway Association ensures the running of the Volk's Electric Railway along Brighton’s sea front between the Aquarium and the Black Rock site - the world’s oldest operating electric railway, which opened in 1883. The VERA team will lead the development of the Pioneer zone of the Brighton Luminarium.
Science Projects Limited is an educational charity which develops and builds interactive exhibitions for science museums worldwide, and who also operates the Observatory Science Centre at the site of the old Royal Greenwich Observatory in Herstmonceux, East Sussex. Science Projects will be involved in developing and constructing interactive exhibits for the Luminarium.
The Observatory Science Centre in Herstmonceux, East Sussex, is a science and technology discovery centre at the site of the old Royal Greenwich Observatory, which attracts 70,000 visitors annually. The OSC has been operating successfully for 25 years, and experts at the observatory bring a wealth of experience to the Luminarium project.
Outreach experts at the Department of Physics & Astronomy at the University of Sussex will be involved in developing new exhibits for the quantum and astronomy zones. The department has a well-established science outreach programme that typically runs 100 events each year to school and college groups, as well as organising and running public events.

The proposing team

The following individuals, listed by alphabetical order of surname, are working on the Brighton Luminarium project proposal.

Dr Darren Baskill has over 25 years’ experience of organising and delivering public science events. He is a lecturer and outreach officer for the Department of Physics & Astronomy at the University of Sussex, and typically runs 100 outreach events each year for schools, colleges, and the public. He previously worked at the Royal Observatory Greenwich science centre and planetarium in London, where he initiated the highly successful Astronomy Photographer of the Year public competition and exhibition, and he was a calibration scientist for the European XMM-Newton space telescope at the University of Leicester before that. Darren is also a director of Ensonglopedia, a musical theatre company based in Lewes.
Stephen Pizzey is the director of Science Projects Limited, an educational charity which operates the Observatory Science Centre in Herstmonceux, and which develops and builds interactive exhibitions for science museums worldwide. Steve has great experience in setting up and running science and technology discovery centres.
Adrian Richards is a transport professional, specialising in tram driver training and competence management. He is a Chartered Member of the Institute of Logistics and Transport and is an Associate of railway consultancy, North Star. He is a volunteer on Volk’s Electric Railway, and a volunteer oncology-trained massage therapist with Macmillan Cancer Care. Adrian has a Masters degree in Christian Theology and tutors for the Diocese of Arundel & Brighton.
Abbie Rumbold was a partner at leading charity law firm Bates Wells where she worked with a myriad of different charities from community organisations to household names. As an originator of the Community Interest Company, Abbie has a particular interest in social enterprise, and has worked on a number of public service transformation projects. Abbie is currently chair elect of Creative Education Trust, a multi academy trust providing education for over 14,000 children as well Science Projects Limited - a science education charity.
Peter Williams is a professional Building Services Engineer and Project Manager, specialising in electrical and environmental projects. He worked with Brighton & Hove City Council and the Heritage Lottery Fund between 2012-2017 on the scheme to rebuild Volk's Electric Railway. When time permits, Peter delivers talks on local history to organisations in the Brighton area.
Dr Stephen Wilkins is the head of the astronomy research group at the University of Sussex, where he is also the director of outreach & public engagement for the Departments of Mathematics and Physics & Astronomy. He is the founder of the Curiosity Sussex charity, which organises and runs free public science fairs across Sussex and is also a trustee for Science Projects ltd, which runs the Observatory Science Centre in Herstmonceux, Sussex.