UCL’s Festival of Engineering

150 years of engineering education. Six days to change the world. 

I developed the overarching strategy and campaign for the Festival of Engineering and helped deliver a week of activities targeting numerous audiences.  

The challenge.

UCL’s Faculty of Engineering was heading to their 150th anniversary of establishing engineering education within the UK. Unsure of how to mark this, I worked with them over 3 years from research and strategy development through to delivery of the events and communications and marketing strategies to increase registrations across the six days of events. 

The impact.

Over 7,000 people attended across the week, with attendees from six boroughs in London, and overseas attendees for online events. Working with NASA, we were able to secure a live link to the International Space Station which was attended by over 500 people in person and many more online. Across the six days over 150 activities were held targeting school children (6 and up), policy makers, industry partners and the general public. 

The faculty had never done anything on this scale and it has increased their ambition further across their ongoing business as usual. 

Winner of the Heist Award for ‘Best Widening Participation Initiative’ 2025.

UCL’S Festival of Engineering event

A wrap up video for the week of events were shown at the Bloomsbury Theatre ’The Wonders’ event and shared widely with partners after the festival. The video content was captured by James Allan (UCL) and Cinematic Pictures

A young woman with glasses and a backpack stands in front of a large interactive screen, touching the screen with her right hand. The screen displays a presentation about engineering's role in offering solutions for the world, with handwritten notes and typed text. There are other people in the background.
A group of four people, including a young boy, are engaged in woodworking activities at a workshop table. The boy and two adults are focusing on a piece of wood, using tools, while a woman on the right is also working on a project. The setting appears to be a woodworking class or workshop.
A young boy wearing 3D glasses and a black and yellow sports jersey stands in a virtual reality exhibit, holding a controller, with screens and projections in the background.
Children at a science or educational event observing a skull model.
A girl wearing a virtual reality headset and a man showing her a handheld device, while another woman looks on, in an indoor educational setting.
Group of diverse people smiling and laughing indoors, with some displaying excitement or joy.
Three presenters or scientists stand at a table on stage during a 2024 engineering event at University College London, with a large digital screen behind them displaying colorful graphics and text about wonders and curiosity. The stage has bright lighting, and large orange

Over 150 events took place during the week long festival. Photo credits: James Tye and Lucy Pope

UCL’S Festival of Engineering printed material

Brochures for the Festival of Engineering 2024, held from July 15-20. The design features a yellow background with a picture of Earth surrounded by clouds, a robotic hand, a wind turbine, and a building.
Flyer for the Festival of Engineering 2024, 15-20 July 2024, with a young girl holding a robot and the text 'Six days to change the world,' along with images of an orange slice, robot hand, circuit, Earth, astronaut, and green leaves.
Flyer for the University College London Festival of Engineering 2024, taking place from July 15 to 20, 2024, featuring young students and highlights of health and wellbeing, reducing inequalities.
Colorful page layout with sections about science and engineering activities, including young students wearing virtual reality headsets, astronauts in space suits, a scientist in a red jumpsuit, and images of wind turbines, robots, and space exploration tools. Text describing events and careers in engineering, space, and innovation.
Flyer for the Festival of Engineering 2024 at UCL, titled 'UCL Engineering Turning Discoveries into Solutions,' featuring images of a sleeping baby, a person playing a guitar, a digital art scene, colorful LED lights, a person working with wires, and a plant.
Open magazine or brochure featuring text about engineering solutions and healthcare improvement, with a smiling man wearing a black Adidas jacket, and a partial photo of another person working with machinery.
Printed flyer for the Festival of Engineering 2024 at UCL, scheduled for July 15-20, featuring illustrations of a robotic hand, a cluster of colorful molecules, and the Earth with a torn paper effect.
A three-dimensional card with a blue background features illustrations of wind turbines and a virus model, and has a gold medal with the text 'DUAL Festival of Engineering 2024' engraved on it.

Visual identity for the festival was developed by Hope and worked as part of UCL’s wider brand guidelines. Photo credits: Emma Todd

“A real standout - it went one step further with strategic planning. An outstanding initiative and achievement, all delivered with impressive cost effectiveness. This inclusive design, collaborative approach, and strategic use of role models powerfully showcased engineering as an accessible and exciting career path for everyone. Truly inspiring!”

–Judges comments, Heist Awards 2025

Royal Academy of Engineering / Imperial College London / DSIT
Pharmacy Technicians of Colour