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Heritage

Explore projects that use the historical foundations of our building as a springboard for fresh perspectives, or our vast archive collection documenting centuries of industry and life in the North East. We are always looking for new ways to reinterpret and illuminate our history.

Inspiring Pioneers

We're installing five blue plaques across the five Tyne & Wear local authorities in recognition of regional women in science. The project is supported by Newcastle University, facilitating research by the Centre for Heritage (APL, HASS), titled ‘Towards more inclusive heritage policies: ‘Blue Plaques’ in Tyne and Wear’. Their research aims to support a regional approach to diversifying commemorative plaques.

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Our Voices: Oral History Project

Working in partnership with Dr Andy Clark from the Oral History Collective at Newcastle University, we are documenting and celebrating the people of our region. These oral histories will be preserved and stored within The Common Room’s archive and collection, available to listen to in The Common Room's Oral History Listening Booth, and online.

Our Voices

Heritage Enrichment Module

Working in partnership with Nissan and NAC Group, we developed a module for apprentices to learn about the history of engineering, the tools and methods that were used in the past, and it's importance to the North East. Apprentices studied technical drawings from our archive, and used CAD software to replicate the plans and build scale models of winding gears and pit heads.

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STEM Engagement

Evidence shows that children form ideas about their futures when they’re as young as five or six. We work with partners across sectors to engage people who do not self-select as STEM-oriented, supporting the equity of knowledge and access around career pathways.

Facing the Future

Facing the Future is a development programme to sustainably support underrepresented STEM industry professionals and practitioners with youth engagement. It is designed in collaboration with STEMazing, to co-create a summer engagement programme and a toolkit for post-project use.

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Two young people watching a facilitator deliver an activity to them on their table.

Speak the Future

Speak the Future is an integrated arts-based and STEM programme designed to generate discussion and creativity around young people's ideas and aspirations for themselves and the region.

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Time is Running Out: Help Us Engineer a Net Zero World

We partnered with the Institute of Civil Engineers (ICE) to host their annual travelling family-friendly exhibition. It explored how engineers and society can respond to the challenges of climate change, featuring video content and hands-on activities such as Giant Jenga and Balancing Bridges.

"Oral History is a crucial tool for understanding lived experiences of the North East. The interaction between events, historical change and individual memory is necessary for capturing the area’s past and promoting opportunities for its future."

Dr Andy Clark Research Associate in Oral History, Newcastle University

"Loved doing my oral history interview today. We talked about my passion for engineering and innovation and what my role means to me. I think it’s so important to understand our heritage and industry especially in times when we’re allowing young kids to step forward and be our voice. The North East will become that vocal point for industry and it’s vital we have amazing groups like the Common Room to give us a central hub to explore, create, design, innovate, lead and inspire."

Stevie McLaughlin, Tharsus and Common Room Youth Board Member

"The Common Room is extremely important to the Royal Institution - it's a fantastic venue for Masterclasses, combining the classroom and theatre facilities we need to run the workshops with the unique opportunity for students to experience this important heritage organisation, linked as it is to the history of engineering"

Rachel Dorris, Royal Institution