Lancaster University’s popular Campus in the City initiative welcomed 5,593 visitors to the eclectic range of activities in the bespoke unit in St Nicholas Arcades, Lancaster.

Campus in the City, which ran for five weeks, is a key part of the University’s commitment to public engagement.

Having run four times previously, the fifth season of this programme saw a record number of activities on show, matched by record numbers of visitors over the five-week period.

The launch event saw interactive activities from Lancaster Environment Centre, biomedical sciences and anatomy, complemented by magic tricks and circus skills from the Students’ Union’s magic society, and the Lancaster University Gospel Choir performing popular hits with a gospel twist.

Throughout the programme, almost 40 activities drew in the crowds in St Nicholas Arcades with topics from imagining disasters in the future and technological responses, to randomness visualised on a stunning LED cube, with the human body, a language café, Minecraft, history and comics, gender and language, fantastic plastic and a geometry lab among the vast range of taster activities.

The unit was even visited by an Uruk-Hai from Lord of the Rings, where a popular book swap point and Pokémon colouring ran throughout the programme of events.

Feedback gained during the programme showed that 100% of visitors rated their time at Campus in the City as ‘enjoyable’ or ‘very enjoyable’.

Dr Anna Mackenzie, the Deputy Head of Events and Campus in the City Manager, said: “We had an absolutely superb time at Campus in the City 2019. We were blown away by the levels of support for the initiative from our amazing community within Lancaster, and so pleased that our activities attracted such interest and interaction.

"We would like to thank St Nicholas Arcades for being brilliant and engaged hosts, and we must thank all of our visitors. You made us all feel most welcome, and we can’t wait to come back with the next season.”

Professor Dame Sue Black, the University’s Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Engagement, added: ‘Campus in the City is a central part of Lancaster University’s public engagement programme. It was my first experience of this event and I was both thrilled to be part of it and delighted with its success.

"We look forward, with much enthusiasm, to building on the new relationships we formed this year, and to continuing to engage with all the different community groups who energise and inspire us.”

Paul Smith, the Centre Manager for St Nicholas Arcades, noted: “Campus in the City has been a popular and welcome fixture within St Nic’s for a number of years now. We always enjoy having the University in the Arcades, and look forward to seeing the range of activities each year – some of our staff will usually have a go at something! We are looking forward to continuing our positive relationship with the University and seeing the next steps of Campus in the City.”

If you are interested in receiving updates on the next Campus in the City, and to receive details on upcoming public events, please contact the University’s Events Team to sign up for our public events mailing list, either by emailing publicevents@lancaster.ac.uk or by calling 01524 592994. You can also follow the Team on Twitter: @Lancs_Events.