In the summer of 2021, we had the great pleasure of creating a project about the Sun with Mohammed Rahman and the young people of Rochdale Science Initiative.
The Sun is a great complicated magnetic object and the features we see on its surface are due to complex magnetic fields. So, we began our project by dispatching magnets and iron filings to the group with suggestions for some basic experiments to explore magnetic forces. The group far exceeded our expectations and made a host of dynamic and wacky videos that delighted in their discoveries and brought the magnetic phenomena to dramatic and entertaining life. And there were two beautiful poems. The first we received began:
“The Sun. A concoction of light raised above our heads. Bestowing its warmth and serenity to us.”
When we gathered via Zoom for our first meeting, Stephanie and I were greeted with a warm welcome and cheering introductions as some of the young people expressed their hopes for the project. We discussed the relationship between our tiny Earth and the gigantic Sun and zoomed into its surface to look at the magnetic effects. The Sun is incredibly dynamic as seen by observatories on Earth and in space such as NASA's Solar Dynamic Observatory. Its interaction with the Earth is called 'space weather' and is studied by many scientists including Stephanie. We closed by falling back to Earth to reflect on our relationship with our nearest star. We read Philip Larkin’s poem ‘Solar’ and discussed the extracts that resonated most and that we enjoyed. Our conversations were fun, inspiring, and lively, and our one-hour meeting happily became 90 minutes.
Before the next session, the group created a host of beautiful and diverse artworks. We received images of cakes and pies made to celebrate the Sun. It is fair to say that Rochdale Science Initiative invented ‘Sun Baking’. There was also an origami star, one made of buttercups and some beautiful paintings. Each work was a poem picture. Using our shared online project boards, we enjoyed characterful videos of artworks being made.
The group comprises young people of mostly Islamic faith, so the second meeting began with a discussion about the delicious food everyone had enjoyed at Eid. We discussed and enjoyed each artwork and heard the thinking behind them. We took the opportunity to discover, discuss and celebrate the contributions made to science by Islamic scientists over millennia. We talked about the father of modern optics, Hasan ibn al-Haytham (c 965 – 1040) and his work to better understand the nature of light and how he used the pinhole to demonstrate that light appears to travel in straight lines. Fittingly we explored how a simple pinhole in card or paper can be used to project an image of the Sun. The group regaled us throughout with thought-provoking questions and comments.
Some weeks later the group celebrated their project in Rochdale by making an exhibition and sharing their work with over 400 local visitors.
We would love to have the privilege of working with this dynamic, convivial, creative, curious, serious, and thoughtful community group again.
Rochdale Science Initiative Vision
“Our dream is to work in partnership with other communities, cultural institutions and educational institutions, professional scientists, science communicators and science enthusiasts – to create ample opportunity to inspire, engage, educate and showcase the beauty of science to the under-represented families of Rochdale.”
Comments from rochdale science initiative
Rochdale Science Initiative has a new friend. It was an absolute pleasure to work with both Geraldine and Dr Stephanie. Geraldine came across and someone who is culturally sensitive, passionate, and accessible.
How kind, considerate and generous of Geraldine to tweak the workshops to bring cultural and faith inclusion. Dr Stephanie’s scientific insight. Geraldine’s artistic flair and a splash of faith heritage made the workshops relevant, powerful, truly engaging and inspiring for all participants.
Even before the workshop, the participants had amassed a rich collection of cool, wacky, fun imageries from the magnetic field experiments. It was no surprise to learn that after the first workshop 20+ youths had commented over 200 times on the Zoom chat and how the conversation continued into our WhatsApp learning group.
Some of the youths commented on how being able to interact with two female scientists was inspiring. Zahra said “I was very intrigued by the first session. Bring on the next one.” Others thought the hour and a half had finished too quickly and wanted to ask more questions. about the Sun and Physics. Raniyah said “Today’s session was very interesting and fascinating. I want to create my piece now”. This was the same for most of the youths. After the first session they had already formed creative ideas about how they wanted to express/represent the Sun.
After both workshops, the youths curated and celebrated their creativity with their local community. Around 400 local visitors came to see the paintings, pictures and ‘sun baking’.
Mohammed Rahman, Rochdale Science Initiative.
Notes
*Rochdale is a town in Greater Manchester with over 200,000 people. It is the birthplace of the modern Co-operative Movement.
‘Drawing the Sun’ was created with Dr Stephanie Yardley from Mullard Space Science Laboratory, UCL. This was supported by the SunSpaceArt project led by Dr Helen Mason, solar scientist at Cambridge University, with funding from STFC.