Local pupils design new exhibit!

This week, year 6 pupils from Widnes Academy in West Bank were treated to a private tour ahead of the re-opening of Catalyst Science Discovery Centre and Museum in Widnes.

In 2018, Catalyst was awarded funding from UKRI and Wellcome Trust’s Inspiring Science Fund for a comprehensive redevelopment project and they worked with pupils in year 3 to explore the types of exhibits the pupils wanted to see when the interactive gallery was refurbished. As young consultants, the pupils worked with exhibit designer Dan Bird from Whitefire Associates to develop ideas for the Time Capsule exhibit which has now been installed in the ground floor interactive gallery. The pupils, who are now in year 6, visited Catalyst to see their finished exhibit and to investigate the other interactives in the brand new gallery.

During their visit, Lucinda Lewis, Education Manager at Catalyst said “We are delighted to welcome children from Widnes Academy to see their ideas for our new interactive gallery come to life. Their innovative contributions, have led to the development of bespoke exhibits, that are unique to Catalyst and will inspire and enthuse all visitors for years to come. It’s great to see the exhibition floor busy again, and hear the excitement, and they should be extremely proud of themselves.”

Karen Highcock, Headteacher from Widnes Academy said “Widnes Academy staff and pupils were thrilled to be invited to support the re-development of the Catalyst exhibits. It was a fantastic opportunity for our children to use their design skills and see their ideas translated into reality. We look forward to a continued partnership with Catalyst.”

“I was really excited to meet up with the pupils of Widnes Academy again to show them the Time Capsule exhibit they helped develop. We took their initial ideas and designed the interactive exhibit specifically for Catalyst’s new exhibition. It was great to see them engaging with all the new exhibits, having fun and learning more about chemistry and the world around them. We look forward to seeing many more children visiting when Catalyst reopens in May.” said Dan Bird of Whitefire.

Catalyst re-opens to the public at 10am on Thursday 27^th May.