The driving force behind the Festival of Tomorrow explained how he developed the event.

New Elements director Dr Rod Hebden said: “When the Steam Museum first asked me to create an event, I jumped at the chance.

“For me, the Festival of Tomorrow provides a valuable platform to help raise aspirations and awareness of science, technology, engineering and maths career pathways amongst young people in a way that is interesting and engaging by dispelling the myth that scientists are geniuses in white coats.

"And we put the arts back in to make STEAM, to show that creativity is at the absolute heart of what scientists and engineers do.

“The festival helps to showcase the vast array of engineering, science and technology businesses that we have here in Swindon, something which is often overlooked by people within the town and the outside world.

“Because of the STEM ecosystem that we have locally, with UK Research and Innovation, The Science Museum and the UK Space Agency on our doorstep, we are lucky enough to be able to fill the festival programme with top drawer exhibitors.

"That being so, I have every confidence that our exhibitors will be able to recreate the magic of last year’s event in a virtual format.

“It would be irresponsible in the current climate to try to deliver even part of the festival in a physical environment, so we made the decision in autumn last year to take it fully online.

“The decision to do so has created additional challenges, particularly in terms of ensuring that remote access is open to all. Since schools were mandated to close earlier this month, the extent of the digital divide has come into sharp focus.

“Education and learning should be open for all, and we are proactively engaging with local partners to try and widen access to the Festival through the distribution of tablets and laptop computers.

“The lockdown presented us with a huge challenge, but we’ve been amazed by the response from our partners and exhibitors, who have created some fantastic events. And while they all have real science and technology research at their core, there really is something for everyone, whether they have an interest in science or not.

“While the STEAM Museum is delivering the latest science in practice, by stepping up to the challenge of facilitating vaccines, the Festival of Tomorrow is still coming from the museum in spirit, building on the world-leading engineering Swindon was built upon.”

Business West is a key champion and backer of the Festival of Tomorrow.

The director of the Swindon and Wiltshire Initiative Ian Larrard said: “Getting young people interested in and excited by science, technology and engineering is an important first step toward furthering the STEM agenda here in Swindon.

“We fully support the aims of the Festival of Tomorrow and hope that it can build a legacy in terms of encouraging our young people to consider STEM career pathways.

“Swindon employers are at the forefront of tackling some of our greatest challenges and opportunities, from climate change to technology in vehicles and medicines of the future.

“Therefore, we are hopeful in the longer-term that the Festival of Tomorrow will help empower Swindon’s young people to build upon the town’s impressive reputation for pioneering science, technology and engineering and make it prosper.”

For more information visit: https://www.scienceswindon.com/festival-of-tomorrow