Exeter Science Centre

Exeter Science Centre’s project will work with the community in Exwick to empower residents to envision a positive future for their own locality. Through a blend of scientific inspiration and artistic expression, ESC will help generate ideas, create a tangible, community-owned vision (a public mural) and galvanise local changemakers to turn that vision into action. This process gives residents direct agency in shaping the future of their place.

This project builds on the successful ‘Our Positive Future’ event in June 2025 (https://exetersciencecentre.org/projects/our-positive-future-event/). Support from Creative Arc will enable ESC to adapt the event to become a hyper-local, tourable, and impactful community engagement tool, trialling the experience with the Exwick community.

The project is delivered in two distinct, connected parts over a single day.

1) Daytime: The ‘Positive Future Imagining’

ESC will set up in one of Exwick’s community centres to host a free, drop-in event for all ages. The goal is to spark conversations about what residents want for their community's future, using engaging, hands-on activities as a creative hook, exploring nature-based solutions to local challenges like climate change, biodiversity loss, and wellbeing. Activities include:

  • Creative collaging: Reimagining printed photos of Exwick streets.

  • Hands-on science: Using tried-and-tested demonstrations around nature-based solutions (including using thermal imaging to show how plants keep spaces cooler) with a newspaper plant pot plug plant ‘take-away’ from the event.

  • 'What If' board: A space for residents to post their most ambitious ideas for a positive future.

  • At the heart of the day, artist Bob Walley will facilitate the co-creation of a community mural. This artwork will capture the ideas and aspirations generated during the event, providing a lasting, public legacy for Exwick that visualises a future shaped by its own residents.

2) Evening: The ‘Positivity Party’

This follow-up event transitions from imagination to action, bringing together community builders, local organisations, and proactive individuals to explore the ideas from the daytime session.

Facilitated by Katie Villa, the evening is a creative networking opportunity designed to galvanise attendees. It will summarise the day's findings and use creative prompts to develop the community's 'what if' ideas into tangible starting points for action.

The key output will be a shareable package of ideas, creations, and connections, ready to be taken forward by the community. ESC’s team will maintain connections with Exwick community leaders to support follow-on activities, helping to kick-start initiatives like a hyper-local community assembly.

About Exeter Science Centre

SHORT PRECIS

https://exetersciencecentre.org