National Space Centre: Extended Reality for New Audiences

The National Space Centre wishes to balance its national growth with a renewed local focus. It has identified five socio-economically disadvantaged communities in Leicester where visitor numbers are low, and from which it will engage young people in STEM through their interest in gaming, design and social media . It will recruit new audiences who have neither the opportunity nor confidence to take part in current programmes. It will promote family interaction to boost impact, and create new life pathways with support from The Partnership comprising the University of Leicester’s Unit for Diversity, Inclusion & Community Engagement (DICE), Leicester City Council Neighbourhood Services Team and Leicester College. A Programme Pathway will start with community-based sessions and progress to on-site programmes delivered by a new NSC Creative Academy in a new Extended Reality Laboratory. Participants will help (a) create content for a new Space Mission Simulation Facility, and (b) establish a comprehensive outreach programme to be delivered back in their communities. The Space Mission Simulation Facility will have two workshop spaces: Launch/Mission Control and Space Station. This will replace the popular but ageing Challenger Learning Centre, SIM Simulator and Tranquillity Base gallery. Off-site programmes will be tested in a pilot programme in Belgrave and Braunstone before roll out to Beaumont Leys, Highfields/St Matthews and Saffron/Eyres Monsell. They will include space missions, a virtual museum tour and planetarium-style shows. A bursary programme will allow subsequent growth elsewhere in Leicester, the East Midlands and UK-wide.