Students explore life on the moon at Milton Keynes STEAM Festival
A two-day festival brought science and space exploration to life with The Open University and virtual sessions with ESA and NASA scientists.
Young people from Milton Keynes and beyond were invited to discover outer space this week as Milton Keynes Islamic Arts & Culture (MKIAC) brought its free City of Codes & Light STEAM Festival to Centre:mk.
Held on October 20 and 21, the two-day event explored the theme ‘Moon Colonies and Future Architecture’, bringing science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) together through interactive activities designed to inspire the next generation of scientists, engineers and creative thinkers.
In partnership with The Open University, the festival offered students the opportunity to explore lunar materials such as Moon Rocks and Meteorites, discover how future Moon colonies could be built and learn more about the science behind space exploration.
Highlights from the event included virtual sessions with space scientists Aidan Cowley from European Space Agency (ESA) and Brian Day from NASA, facilitated by The Open University. The ESA session explored a 'Moon on Earth' simulator, while the NASA session introduced interactive tools used to explore planetary landscapes, giving participants an insight into the technology behind lunar research.
Students could also explore an immersive Science Dome, discover lunar materials through activities developed with The Open University and take part in interactive space installations and the Moon Colony Challenge, encouraging young people to consider the challenges of designing and building settlements beyond Earth.
The festival welcomed over 600 students across the two days both in-person and virtually, with some attending from as far afield as Bradford. The event brought together education and innovation, giving young people a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see space materials up close.
Anouar Kassim MBE, Founder and CEO of MKIAC, said the festival was well-received by the students, as well as Mayor Paul Trendall, with many commenting on how fun and interactive the event was.
Anouar added: “It’s not every day that young people in Milton Keynes get to hear directly from scientists working with NASA and the European Space Agency. Our partnership with The Open University brought those opportunities closer to home, helping young people see themselves as part of the future of discovery.
“Art and creativity are central to that ambition. Through the City of Codes & Light and the STEAM Festival, we wanted young people from every background to recognise that their imagination has value and that they can contribute to shaping the future as artists, scientists, designers and engineers”.
The STEAM Festival followed the success of City of Codes & Light 2026 on October 3, which attracted around 6,000 people to Central Milton Keynes for an evening of large-scale projections, illuminated installations, live performances and a community lantern parade.
Together, the events formed part of MKIAC's wider programme exploring Moon Colonies – Future Architecture. The programme combines creativity, culture and science to encourage people of all ages and backgrounds to imagine the possibilities of the future.
The festival also reflects MKIAC's ongoing commitment to making arts, culture and education accessible to local communities. MKIAC is also a key cultural partner supporting Milton Keynes’ bid to become the UK City of Culture 2029, with their events celebrating the city’s cultural identity.