Get North Family Expo coming to St. James Park
Details of an action-packed pop-up family showcase have been revealed as part of the Great Exhibition of the North programme this summer.
Hosted at Newcastle’s football stadium, St. James’ Park from Thursday 2 August – Thursday 9 August 2018, the Get North Family Expo is free to attend, giving parents and children the chance to work together to innovate and create, develop skills, get active and explore future careers.
From robotics and sport to craft and 3D printing, the Family Expo will immerse families and young people in a whole host of creative and engaging workshops, experiments, interactive games and demonstrations, all showcasing the wonders of science, sport, innovation and technology.
The week-long activities will enable partners, artists, designers, scientists and makers to showcase their passion and experience and how they work in a fun and hands-on way.
Lucy Tetley, Schools and Young People Engagement Manager, at Great Exhibition of the North said: “The Get North Family Expo is a brilliant opportunity to engage, entertain and excite young people to help them understand their potential and raise their aspirations. We hope families take the opportunity this August to spend time together experiencing the programme on offer.
The eight-day programme includes a series of diverse and exciting free workshops on the weekdays, where families can undertake challenges such as coding and robotics. There will also be a Get North Family Expo Weekend on 4 and 5 August, taking young people on an immersive learning journey with experiments, music and captivating performances.
Lee Charnley, Newcastle United MD, said: “We are delighted that St. James’ Park will provide the iconic back-drop for this amazing event. The Family Expo will take families on an incredible journey of discovery through technology, sport and innovation, and promises to be a magical experience for all who ‘Get North’ this summer.”
Accenture, Premier Partner of Great Exhibition of the North, will be providing drop-in activities throughout the Family Expo. Activities include creating items using 3D pens for participants to take away with them; coding of robots to help visitors to navigate a map of the Great Exhibition’s walking routes; and the opportunity for families to create a basic HTML page of their favourite part of Great Exhibition of the North which will provide a lasting legacy of the Exhibition.
Mark Larsen, managing director for Accenture in the North East said: “We’re looking forward to inspiring the next generation at the Get North Family Expo, by enabling them to experience for themselves how technology innovation will shape tomorrow’s world.
“Accenture welcomes this opportunity to help the Great Exhibition of the North to build a lasting legacy in the region. By sparking young people’s interest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM), our aim is to foster the development of those skills that will be critical to the North of England’s future economy.”
Councillor Kim McGuinness, cabinet member for culture, sport and public health at Newcastle City Council, said: “The Get North Family Expo epitomises everything that is fantastic about Great Exhibition of the North. The week-long event enables families, children and parents, to get involved in something they wouldn’t normally have the chance to experience over the summer holidays. This event is all about creating memories that people can look back on in years to come and say ‘I was there!’.
“The word unique is widely used when promoting events but it’s definitely the best word to use when describing the Family Expo. Where else will people be able to experience, for free, the wonders of robotics, crafts, innovation, sport and cutting-edge technology. This could even encourage young people to choose a career in science and engineering.”
Full details of how to get involved can be viewed at https://getnorth2018.com/family-expo/
