When: Thursday 7 October 2021, 5pm to 7.30pm
Where: Brunel Museum, Railway Avenue, London SE16 4LF
This panel event, organised by the Heritage Crafts Association and Dr Rebecca Struthers as part of London Craft Week and sponsored by Smith of Derby and The Watch Club, will explore the invaluable and sometimes surprising links between science and making.
Chaired by trumpet playing, channel swimming, performer, podcaster and materials scientist Dr Anna Ploszajski (author of Handmade: A Scientist’s Search for Meaning Through Making), the session will see award-winning scientists, makers, engineers, and educators from a diverse range of disciplines share their journeys of building successful careers in the space between science and craft.
The line-up includes:
- Dr Anna Ploszajski (above second left) – a trumpet playing, channel swimming, performer, podcaster and materials scientist (author of Handmade: A Scientist’s Search for Meaning Through Making)
- Dr Rebecca Struthers (above left) – a real-life ‘time doctor’, independent watchmaker, author, historian and Sustainable Skills Ambassador for the Association of Heritage Engineers.
- Roma Agrawal MBE (above second right) – speaker, presenter and structural engineer who has worked on projects from sculptures and footbridges to The Shard (author of Built: The Hidden Stories Behind our Structures and children’s book How Was That Built?).
- Dr Maria Maclennan (main image above) – Lecturer and Researcher at Edinburgh College of Art, Service Design Manager at Police Scotland, and world’s first ‘Forensic Jeweller’, exploring how jewellery can be used to assist identification and help solve crimes.
- Alom Shaha (above right) – science teacher, filmmaker and writer who has worked with organisations including BBC Bitesize and The Royal Institution to improve childhood learning through making (author of several books including Mr Shaha’s Marvellous Machines).
After the main session, scientific glassblower Terri Adams (left) of the University of Oxford will be on hand to talk through her endangered and sometimes life-saving craft.
With networking and opportunities to meet the panellists before and after, this event is suitable for all ages, including live streaming with real time question and answer session for those unable to attend in person. Authors Roma Agrawal and Alom Shaha will be available to sign copies of their books after the session.
Tickets are £15 each and are available from the London Craft Week website from 25 August onwards.
