The TOWN Observatory (TO) participated in the Loughborough Heritage Open Weekend held on September 20th and 21st. During the event, the team was based at the Careers and Enterprise Hub, where they showcased the TO project and shared updates on its latest developments.
Throughout the weekend, the team offered presentations to the public, highlighting ongoing research and inviting visitors to engage in friendly conversations about the advancements and community involvement associated with the observatory.
Above (read left to right): (1) Dr Robert Harland presenting the TOWN Observatory; (2) Dr Cristina A G Kiminami presenting the Loughborough Stories platform; (3) Pegah Aftabi presenting about a recent survey on co-creating heritage in Loughborough.
During the event, on Saturday, the TO presented the Loughborough Stories platform, featuring the new Medieval Loughborough initiative undertaken in partnership with the Loughborough Library Local Studies Volunteer Group (LLLSVG). The Heritage Open Weekend also featured an inaugural Medieval Loughborough Walk promoted and hosted by LLLSVG. Following this, the Colouring Loughborough team also shared their work and was available for walk in sessions.
(4) Mihyun Kim, Pegah Aftabi, Dr Cristina A G Kiminami, and Dr Robert Harland at the Careers and Enterprise Hub ready to welcome the public on Saturday
Above (read left to right): (5) David Kirkby, Christina Harris, and Sharon Gray from the LLLSVG team visiting the TOWN Observatory. (6) TOWN Observatory leaflets (including a map) available to the public. (7) The Medieval Loughborough Walk promoted and hosted by LLLSVG
The event also provided the opportunity to showcase innovative PhD research and early findings through interactive mapping activities with the public and ongoing collaborators.
Above (8 and 9): The interactive mapping activity conducted by Pegah Aftabi at the Heritage Open Weekend. This session involved an investigation of communities interactions with listed buildings in Loughborough.
On Sunday, other members of the TOWN Observatory team were present. The main highlights were the sharing of the Loughborough in Motion and Chat Loughborough platforms. Several other doctoral researchers also showcased their work.
Above (read left to right): (10) Matt Beenchey, Tong Chen, Dr Asya Natapov, Wenjie Chen, Mohamed Shamroukh, (11) The TOWN Observatory team presenting the Loughborough in Motion Platform.
Acknowledgements: Thanks to Jill Vincent, Pete Hitchings, Bhavna Patel and John Weightman for their support in facilitating this activity.
