Tech Ilford: A Festival of Creativity & Innovation (Sat 14 Jun)
Join us for Tech Ilford 2025, our annual celebration of innovation, creativity, and hands-on discovery! This year we’re putting the ‘Arts’ at the heart of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Maths), offering exciting, interactive experiences for families, young people, and the wider community.
đ¨ Love art, coding, science, or storytelling? Thereâs something for you! Sign up to get exclusive updates and a reminder ahead of the big day.
𦾠Thanks to UK Robotics, weâre running a prize draw for three amazing robot building sets! Take part, give feedback on the day, and youâll be entered â winners will be drawn the following week.
⨠No experience neededâjust bring your curiosity! All the activities are free and drop-in unless otherwise stated and running from 11 am to 3 pm.
Tech Ilford is supported using public funding by Arts Council England through the National Lottery.
Access
A BSL interpreter will be on site throughout the day.
She will be at the following locations. Identify her by a yellow ‘qualified interpreter’ NRCPD badge:
– 11 am to 11.30 am: Accompanying the Invisible Man in the library and town centre
– 11.45 am to 12.45 pm: SPACE Gallery
– At the Redbridge Central Library Information Point at 1.15 pm, 1.45 pm and 2.30 pm ready to assist.
An Easy Read is available to familiarise yourself on the day.
Events programme
The Invisible Man, 3 yrs+
Meet the Invisible Man, a science experiment gone wrong!
Guided by his mysterious doctor, this 8-foot-tall figure roams the streets, revealing his translucent body through magic, puppetry, and projection. Get up close to this unforgettable live experience, just be ready to see more (or less) than expected!
Catch the Invisible Man at 11 am (BSL interpreted), 12.30 pm and 2 pm. Heâll be wandering around the library and Ilford High Road, so keep an eye out. Brought to life by the artists of Altered States.
Build, Scan, Create!, 5 yrs+
Join artist Tadhg Charles for a fun, hands-on workshop at SPACE Gallery to explore the magic of phone 3D scanning! Together, weâll stack funky 3D-printed blocks each with unique shapes and textures to build a one-of-a-kind structure. Once complete, weâll scan it with our phones and learn how to download the 3D model. A playful way to discover digital creativity and teamwork!
Suitable for ages 5+ and run as a series of 45 minute sessions for up to 15 participants per session. Download the free âKIRI Engineâ 3D scanning app onto your smartphone before coming. Tickets available now at the SPACE Gallery website. Build, Scan, Create! delivered in partnership with SPACE Gallery.
Bot Art Zone, 4 yrs+
Explore the fun of coding through art!
Use a Blue-Bot robot to draw colourful lines and shapes on a giant shared floor mural. Choose a colour, press the buttons to plan its moves, and see what patterns appear!
Itâs all about playing, exploring, and watching your robot drawing come to life. In collaboration with Witty Ditty Designs.
Geometry Shapes, 7 yrs+
Dive into the exciting world of geometry and discover the art of creating with a compass!
Design a vibrant, hand-drawn card to take home as a unique keepsake! Contribute to our collaborative mural where everyone can draw circles with a giant compass right on the floor!
The patterns will be inspired by the beautiful shapes found in nature, showcasing the wonders of geometry all around us! Designed and delivered by The NO Collective
Light & Mirrors, 7 yrs+
Welcome to the world where science meets art!
Explore the fascinating theme of reflection and discover how light creates stunning artistic illusions. Try out a variety of mirror illusion boxes and prisms that reveal the captivating ways light moves.
Create your very own illusion device, a unique kaleidoscope, to take home. Itâs an illuminating adventure in light and creativity! An imaginative project by The NO Collective
Radiant Recyclers, 5 yrs+
Create brilliant designs with light in our giant retro âlitebriteâ installation!
Using recycled plastic bottles and a towering 6 ft light box, youâre invited to help craft a glowing cultural pattern and explore the beauty of light refraction.
This interactive installation also shares the inspiring story of how similar techniques bring sustainable lighting to homes in developing countries, offering a fun and educational experience for all ages. Prepared by the creative practitioners at The NO Collective
Just Dance, 6 yrs+
Groove to the beat with your friends in this interactive dance corner of the library!
Featuring popular hits, this fun activity blends music, technology, and movement as you discover how the gameâs console tracks your body in real time.
Whether youâre a beginner or a dance master, step into the world of coordination and flow for a truly electrifying experience!
Art in Motion, 10 yrs+
Create art without limits! Using virtual reality, experiment with brush strokes that leap off the canvas, from beams of light to flowing water.
Move through your artwork, see it from every angle, and play with dozens of unique brush styles like stars, fire, and more.
Itâs a hands-on experience that lets you reimagine art as you explore virtual landscapes, painting in ways youâve never imagined. The possibilities are endless, and your imagination is the only limit!
Sculpt in Mid-Air, 7 yrs+
Ignite Your Imagination in 3D!
Pick up a 3D printing pen and start crafting! With each stroke, watch your ideas take shape in mid-air, transforming from simple lines to intricate, one-of-a-kind designs.
Perfect for curious creators of all ages, this activity blends hands-on art with cutting-edge tech, allowing you to turn imagination into something you can hold. Brought to you by the awesome team at Bizzie Bodies.
Alien Art Lab, 8 yrs+
Blast off into a cosmic journey of creativity!
Explore digital illustration and character design by crafting your own imaginative alien species. Using tablets and professional software, learn step-by-step techniques to bring extraterrestrial creations to life, all while discovering the basics of digital art and storytelling. Run by Jordan Abankwah.
Green Screen Magic!, 5 yrs+
Itâs your time to shine and let your imagination soar!
Using immersive green screen technology, transport yourself to a different exciting world – fly through outer space, journey inside a high-tech lab, or take to the skies on a futuristic broomstick.
Parents can join in on the fun and snap photos, and a special video will be created to capture the dayâs highlightsâperfect for sharing with friends and family. Powered by Digital Enterprise Makers.
Photo by Daniel Hatton on Flickr (CC BY-NC 2.0)
Braille Story Wall , 5 yrs+
Step into the world of Braille and add your mark to our community story!
Help us recreate a beloved childrenâs book using Braille âDots Tiles.â Choose a vibrant colour for the dots, create a Braille letter, and place it in the display where it belongs in the sentence. Earn a Braille sticker as a reward, plus, enjoy Braille-inspired games and books designed for all ages.
Watch our story art wall grow into a unique display to enjoy by sight and by touch. Led by Ruqaiya Asim, a Blind Artist, celebrating Braille 200. đž Accessibility note: The artist leading this activity will be joined by her assistance dog.
Solve the Mystery, 5 yrs+
A thrilling mystery has struck the library! A rare, one-of-a-kind book has vanished!
Become a detective and search for hidden clues around the first floor of the library using a spyglass magnifier to examine each discovery closely.
Piece together clues to solve the mystery, leading you to the Met Police station, where youâll complete your mission with a fun fingerprint activity. Can you solve the case and save this historic treasure?
The Serenity Space, 3 yrs+
Take a calming break in our cozy, welcoming glass room. Designed as a peaceful retreat, this quiet space offers soft play for children, with comfortable seating and soothing, squishy toys for everyone to enjoy.
The gentle atmosphere is perfect for recharging, whether youâre seeking a moment of quiet or simply a place to unwind during the festival.
The Serenity Space offers a pocket of calm amidst all the excitement.
Pedal Power, 8 yrs+
Get ready to feel the power, literally!
Generate real energy to power everyday devices by hopping on a bicycle and pedalling your way to a fully charged phone. Race against family or friends to heat 10 ml of water from freezing to boiling using pedal power.
This fun, interactive activity promotes teamwork, friendly competition, and teaches the principles of energy transformation, perfect for inspiring energy-conscious creativity! Delivered by Electric Pedals
Electric Explorers, 11 yrs+
Get curious about electricity! In this hands-on activity, youâll explore how power flows through circuits and what makes everyday objects light up, beep, or move.
Whether youâre connecting components or testing energy flow, this is a fun and friendly way to understand the invisible force that powers our world.
Guided by skilled Repair CafĂŠ Volunteers.
Carrom Challenge, 7 yrs+
Test your skills with Carrom, a game of strategy, physics, and precision!
Carrom involves flicking discs into corner pockets, requiring players to understand angles, force, and trajectories, just like in physics!
Strategic planning and hand-eye coordination are key, making this game a fun way to sharpen cognitive skills and reflexes. Take on the challenge and see how well you can play! Courtesy of Redbridge Museum.
Photo by gingerbeardman on Flickr (CC BY 2.0)â
The Human Body, 4 yrs+
Step into the fascinating world of the human body!
Examine a life-size skeleton to learn about bones and joints, check your pulse and oxygen levels, and test a pedometer.
Discover how your body stays healthy and strong, with insights about UEL’s new Health Campus.
Micro:bic Challenge, all ages
There has been a technovirus outbreak!
The children of Redbridge have been busy analysing Micro:bic data at our librarie’s CoderDojos. They are ready now to share their findings…
IMPORTANT: The activities will run from 11 am to 3 pm. All times are approximate and could change on the day. They are all free and drop-in, allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, unless otherwise stated. Please note that if the library reaches capacity, we will allow access on a one-in, one-out basis. As this is a free event, having a ticket DOES NOT guarantee entry to the activities on offer if we reach capacity. Photography & videography will take place at this event.