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Unique collaboration brings alternative energy to local community

Tuesday 23 March 2010

Geezer Club testing their designs with Stephen and Toby at the UEL Knowledge Dock flume

Active Energy is a new intergenerational project involving an artist and engineers from UEL, a gallery, a local school and a group of senior citizens.

Taking an exciting and fresh approach to issues facing the local community, students from Bow Boys Secondary School and members of the Geezers Club, a social society for older gentlemen, have got together with UEL and SPACE Studios to take advantage of both the university’s expertise and facilities to address the increasingly high-profile issue of alternative energy.

In collaboration with artist and Director of cSPACE Loraine Leeson and using UEL’s MAGICbox prototyping laboratory and design engineer Toby Borland and Professor of Control Engineering, Stephen Dodds, the inspirational partnership of young and old has designed and built a wind turbine to power a temporary light installation which will be fitted to the roof of Age Concern at Appian Court in Bow. The turbine will be officially launched on Tuesday 23 March at 1pm.

Loraine Leeson said: “What is really exciting about this initiative is that it is able to tackle important environmental issues from a range of perspectives, with the potential to effect change on many different levels. It also demonstrates how the world-class talent and facilities at UEL are not the exclusive preserve of our students but can be used to bring positive change to our local community."

Notes to Editors

The University of East London (UEL) is a global learning community with over 28,000 students from over 120 countries world-wide. Our vision is to achieve recognition, both nationally and internationally, as a successful and inclusive regional university proud of its diversity, committed to new modes of learning which focus on students and enhance their employability, and renowned for our contribution to social, cultural and economic development, especially through our research and scholarship. We have a strong track-record in widening participation and working with industry.

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