admin, Author at Millennium Point

On Friday 3^rd December St Basils hosted their big sleepout at Millennium Point with the aim to raise funds to help end youth homelessness. The event previously hosted at Birmingham Cathedral moved to versatile event venue Millennium Point. Approximately 300 people joined up to do the sleepout to fundraise for the charity.

Due to last year and the pandemic, 2020’s sleepout was cancelled. Usually, the event raises over £100,000 so the organisers hope that this year’s is the bigger than ever. The event tries to appeal not only to the adventurous nature of people. But also, to their willingness to support young people with additional challenges of homelessness through these difficult times.

Homelessness shouldn’t be part of growing up

St Basils work with young people ages 16-25 who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, to enable them to find and keep a home, grow their confidence, develop their skills, increase opportunities, and prevent homelessness.

During April 2020 – March 2021, St Basils has been able to provide 3,860 young people with advice and support, 590 young people stayed with them every night. Not only this 92% of young people that stayed with St Basils moved on in a planned positive way.

A wealth of support to make the event a success

The event was also supported by projects and companies that made the evening a success.

Langar Aid, a project that that focuses on fighting hunger worldwide and provides vital food and water in emergencies, supplied curry and samosas to guests to warm up. The Band of the West Midlands Fire Service rose spirits by providing some tunes in a festive way. Salvation Army Cradley Heath knitted hats for the outreach team to give out, Campanile Hotels also donated thermal hats.

A team from Squire Patton Boggs, a global law firm, had the important role of handing out the cardboard boxes to guests. The boxes were kindly provided by the packaging manufactures Schumacher.

And of course, everyone that helped raise money and took part in sleeping rough for one night, so young people don’t have to.

As a charity ourselves, we were thrilled to be involved

Supporting young people improves the chances they have for their future. Helping provide a safe space, education and resources allows them to build better foundations for later life. As a strong supporter for education for STEM, Millennium Point wanted to take part.

A team from Millennium Point including CEO Abbie Vlahakis took part in the sleepout to help raise money for the life-changing charity St Basils.

So far Millennium Point have raised over £1,500, however we’re not finished yet! There’s still time to donate.

Couldn’t make it to the sleepout? You can still make a difference

It costs £5 a day to support a young person and keep them at a St Basils project. Supporters can make a one-off donation here. Help change a young person’s life for the better today.

Want to book an event space with Millennium Point?

The multi-award-winning Millennium Point has 17 versatile event spaces to choose from and an excellent events team to help you with your event.

For further information about the event, charity, or venue you can get in contact with our team.

Find more interesting content from Millennium Point over at our news section, or follow us for daily updates on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn with @MillenniumPoint. Millennium Point is a landmark public building and multi-award-winning events venue in the Eastside of Birmingham City centre. Profits from our commercial activity are invested by the Millennium Point Charitable Trust into projects, events and initiatives which support the growth of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) and education in the West Midlands.

Don’t miss out on an introduction into the world of NFTs and explore the opportunities of a digital future in this exciting event taking place at Millennium Point this Saturday.

A Digital Future With NFT Talks takes place at Millennium Point on Saturday 11th December 2021, 5pm-11pm. This is the perfect event for anyone that is interested in the NFT space, that wants to learn more and connect to the NFT community.

A digital future with NFT Talks

Who are NFT Talks?

NFT-Talks is an educational brand created for the NFT space. They believe that NFTs (Non-fungible tokens) are the future and want to play their part in creating awareness to help build the NFT community.

NFT-Talks aim to deliver digestive content about the NFT space for anyone with little to no experience to consume.

What is an NFT?

Non-fungible tokens (NFT) is at the forefront of cutting edge technology and has been the highlight of the year disrupting the Art, Sports & Entertainment, Music, Gaming and Fashion industries so far.

A Non-fungible token is a cryptographic token called ERC-721. This token represents proof of ownership to any digital asset it has been linked to, which is then recorded onto a blockchain.

What to expect on the evening of the event?

The first hour of the event will kick off with a live “NFT Talks” podcast with an anonymous digital artist from the UK “KidEight”.

Taking place after the podcast, listen to a panel of industry leaders and creatives, who will be talking about the future of the NFTs in Art, Music, Digital Fashion & Collectibles followed by a Q&A session.

The event will also include a VR/Metaverse demo, live Art and Music performance, before ending the evening with a chance to network with like-minded individuals and talk about the NFT space.

Limited tickets available so don’t miss out!

Don’t miss out on the exciting world of NFTs and book your place now by clicking below. Tickets are priced at £11.37 (including fees) each.

STEM Grants application deadline is now extended until Friday 17th December 2021. For more information or to apply please click here.

Every year, the Millennium Point Charitable Trust Small Grants programme gives out grants of up to £20,000 to support science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) education projects in the West Midlands. We have funded many different projects across all areas of STEM, supporting learning development for young students.

Here is another great example of the type of work we do, this project was funded in 2019 and shows the power of what the grants funding can achieve for STEM organisations.

Who are Birmingham Botanical Gardens?

The Birmingham Botanical Gardens are a 15-acre botanical garden situated in Edgbaston, and one of the most popular attractions for families in the region. There is plenty on offer for visitors with outdoor events including film screenings and performances, along with access to four stunning glasshouses, a playground, tea room and garden gift shop.

Why did they apply for a Millennium Point Grant?

The Birmingham Botanical Gardens reached out to the Millennium Point Charitable Trust to help support it’s Sensational Science project. They wanted to address a ongoing issue where primary schools lack the resources and skills to provide laboratory style and specialist science learning experiences for young people. Sensational Science is a new, original interactive education workshop designed to enable school children to investigate plant DNA and undertake scientific experiments into the science behind plants in a laboratory-style session at Birmingham Botanical Gardens.

The aim of the project is to inspire and generate more interest around Science, while developing young peoples skillsets and implementing more science and STEM subjects at school.

Sensational Science impacts 1,000 pupils

The results of the project have been fantastic with KS1 and KS2 primary school pupils benefitting from practical experience of scientific investigation. The project is being led by an award-winning education team, with 35 sessions taking place, covering 1000 pupils, many from deprived and marginalised backgrounds.

The project demonstrates the practical application of STEM within a green space which elevates their knowledge of STEM in a fun and imaginative way.

Botanical Gardens “thrilled” with the outcome of the project

Our STEM Grants team caught up with The Botanical Gardens and they couldn’t of been any happier with the outcome of the project. They commented:

“We are absolutely thrilled to have been awarded a small grant from Millennium Point Trust. As a direct result of this grant, we can deliver an exciting programme of bespoke workshops enabling school children to investigate plant DNA and undertake scientific experiments into the science behind plants in a laboratory-style workshop at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens.

The funding will enable us to deliver a minimum of 35 workshops during the year 2019/20, and provide opportunities for up to 1,000 primary school children from Birmingham and West Midlands schools to ‘work scientifically’.

We are especially delighted that this grant will help support the prohibitive costs of travel for up to 20 of our most deprived local schools, a cost we know to be a barrier to some of our closest inner-city schools. With your support, we are able to provide the additional benefit to schools of being able to access the Gardens in general -where they can stay for as long as they choose!

We would like to put on record our thanks to Millennium Point Trust for their support for our work and their hugely important commitment to developing the STEM agenda in this region.”

About educational grant funding from Millennium Point

Educators, Charities and Not-for-Profits within the West Midlands Combined Authority can apply for up to £20,000 from Millennium Point to fund their STEM activity.

The STEM Grants application deadline is now extended until Friday 17th December 2021. For more information or to apply please click here.

Originally set to close on Friday 3^rd December 2021, the STEM Grants application is now officially extended to Friday 17^th December 2021 to give everyone a chance to apply this year. Over the last five years, the Millennium Point Charitable Trust has awarded over £2 million to charities, not-for-profits, community groups and schooled to further STEM education.

Millennium Point STEM Grants are available from £1,000 to £20,000 to individual applicants to support science, technology, engineering & maths (STEM) education in Birmingham and the wider West Midlands.

You can apply here.

Robots, Sensory Gardens, and an Automatic Weather Station

With STEM the possibilities are endless! Millennium Point Charitable Trust has previously seen the rewarding outcome of past projects such as Bishop Vesey Grammar School – STEM Robotics Club. South Bromsgrove High School had an insightful and imaginative project with their Automatic Weather Station. Millennium Point also saw a fantastic Sensory Garden achieved by City Road Primary School.

You can read more about our fantastic case studies here.

Need some help applying?

We want everyone applying to have the best chances of success. That’s why our fantastic Trust Team have put together some useful information on our website. If you have any questions have a look at our frequently asked questions page, you can always contact our team with any other queries. You will also find our STEM Grant Applicant Guidance there too. The guidance intended to assist organisations in applying for funding from the Millennium Point Trust’s STEM grants programme.

Anyone applying can also look at our latest blog with tips on applying for the Millennium Point STEM Grants.

Book with Millennium Point and help support the future of STEM

Everything Millennium Point Charitable Trust achieves is made possible by the commercial activity that takes place in our landmark building. It all feeds back into the Charitable Trust, enabling it to donate and invest in STEM-related organisations, projects, and initiatives.

When booking events with Millennium Point you are widening your CSR and supporting the local region. Find our how and more about our 17 unique event spaces here.

Don’t Delay, apply for our STEM Grant today!

The deadline is now extended to Friday 17^th December 2021, you can apply via our easy to download form on our website.

What’s ‘worse than the total agony of being in love’? … potentially not getting a ticket to Love Actually with wine!

There is only a few days left to buy tickets for this festive treat on Sunday 5^th December at our award-winning venue. Millennium Point have once again teamed up with the charming movie geeks The Wine Events Company for a fun and unique wine tasting. This festive event will include five themed wines and a very big screen, all for the price of £31.95 (plus fees).

You can book your ticket here.

Love Actually – several modern love stories in one classic film

Nine intertwined stories examine the complexities of the one emotion that connects us all: love. Among the characters explored are David (Hugh Grant), the handsome newly elected British prime minister who falls for a young junior staffer (Martine McCutcheon), Sarah (Laura Linney), a graphic designer whose devotion to her mentally ill brother complicates her love life, and Harry (Alan Rickman), a married man tempted by his attractive new secretary.

Featuring: Hugh Grant, Liam Neeson, Alan Rickman

Certificate: 15|Running Time: 2 hours 15 minutes

‘To me, you are perfect’- You to the wine… probably

The ‘new classic’ Christmas movie will be paused to pour you a glass of festive cheer as The Wine Events Company shares with you their five perfect wines. The film and wine connoisseurs will also pause the film at appropriate moments to share some fun movie trivia. For example, did you know that Love Actually was the most rented DVD in the UK in 2004, it must be good!

The event will be a safe, fun, and interactive ‘wines and movie’ event in our multi-award-winning venue with one of Birmingham’s biggest screens.

The film is showing on the Sunday 5^th December, the doors will open at 4:00pm with the event starting at 5:00pm. There are limited tickets available so make your you secure your ticket for this fantastic festival event.

Our movie + drinks nights are not to be missed

Our movie + drinks nights have been hugely successful with fans and are not to be missed. Want to get a feeling of what to expect? Check out our screening of the eighties classic Dirty Dancing below. Guests had the time of their lives with a live band, themed cocktails, and movie trivia from the film geeks at The Wine Events Company.

We pride ourselves on our outstanding hospitality, with a wide range of events there is something for everyone. You can keep up to date with all our events on our refurbished website here.

Getting to Millennium Point

Millennium Point is in the Eastside of Birmingham City Centre just 5-minutes’ walk from Moor Street and 15-minutes from Grand Central and the tram. There is also limited parking on-site which means we’re easy to find regardless of how you travel. For more information please click here.

Applications for our Charitable Trust STEM Grants programme close in just under a month!

Our small grants are available from £1,000 to £20,000 to individual applicants to support science technology, engineering & maths (STEM) education in Birmingham and in the wider region. Applications close at 5pm on Friday 17th December 2021, meaning you have got just under a month to apply. You can apply here.

We want everyone to have the best chance of success. That’s why we have put some helpful tips below.

A good plan is half the work done

To get started, complete the form that can be easily downloaded from our website. Have a read through all the sections and start to complete them in as much detail as you can as this will help us when our team begin to shortlist applications.

Clearly plan what the aims of the project and how those aims will be achieved. Don’t forget to include details on how the success of the project will be measured. This is where using ‘SMART’ objectives will be useful –

Make sure your application is detailed with what activities will take place, when, and where they will be carried out will also help chances of being successful. Have a look through your budget plan and ensure it contained the correct pricing and quantities for everything you need achieve your project.

When talking about your project look at the link between the project and the selected category choice. Make sure the connection is clear to show why you’re doing the project and how it will benefit your chosen group. Also plan about the duration of the project, will it be throughout the year, or could the project be done in a day? Can the project be repeated with the resources bought, or is it a one-off project?

For extra help the guidance and F&Qs pages will help you with your application, you can always contact our friendly Trust team too [email protected].

Submitting your application for grants

Have a read through your final application, ensure that it’s clear, precise and explains all about the exciting project you have planned.

After you have decided you’re happy with your application, submit it to us by email – [email protected]. Make sure you send it on or before the 17th December 2021. We prefer applications to be submitted by email, good luck!

What happens next?

Once it’s sent over, our fantastic Trust team will send you an email acknowledging receipt, you won’t hear from us again until a decision has been made. All applications will be read through by the small grants team and then moderated by a separate panel. It will finally be presented to our Trustees who will make the final decision on the successful applicants. At this stage you don’t have to do anything but wait for the good news!

Our grants help make STEM happen!

Over the past five years, the Millennium Point Charitable Trust has awarded over £2 million to charities, not-for-profits, community groups and schools to further STEM education. Millennium Point Charitable Trust has previously seen the rewarding outcome of past projects such as the Science Area at Ark Tindal Primary and Sensational Science at Birmingham Botanical Gardens. The latest round of funding in 2021 saw a wide range of successful applications – from a proposal to build a fully operational light aircraft, STEM training toolkits for schools and a car engineering workshop for girls.

Last year Millennium Point Trust saw 70 applications from not-for-profit organisations in aim of receiving a share of the grant money.

Apply Now

With less than a month till the deadline, there is still time to apply for a Millennium Point Charitable Trust small grant.

Apply Here

Applications for our Charitable Trust STEM Grants programme close in just under a month!

Have a STEM project plan that needs funding? Our small grants are available from £1,000 to £20,000 to individual applicants to support science, technology, engineering & maths (STEM) education in Birmingham and the wider West Midlands. Applications close at 5pm on Friday 3^rd December 2021, meaning you have got just under a month to apply.

You can apply here.

Endless possibilities with STEM

Over the past five years, the Millennium Point Charitable Trust has awarded over £2 million to charities, not-for-profits, community groups and schools to further STEM education. Millennium Point Charitable Trust has previously seen the rewarding outcome of past projects such as the science area at Ark Tindal Primary and Sensational Science at Birmingham Botanical Gardens. The latest round of funding in 2021 saw a wide range of successful applications – from a proposal to build a fully operational light aircraft, STEM training toolkits for schools and a car engineering workshop for girls.

Last year Millennium Point saw 70 applications from not-for-profit organisations in aim of receiving a share of the grant money.

Abbie Vlahakis, CEO of Millennium Point said. “Along with our hugely popular degree scholarship, the Small Grants Programme is why we do what we do. To promote STEM education across the region and increase the opportunities for the next generation via some of the most exciting career paths available.

“Every year the quality and volume of applications that the Millennium Point Charitable Trust receives is fantastic. I have no doubt that will be the case again – I can’t wait to see them.”

Read more about our fantastic case studies here.

Book with Millennium Point and help support the future of STEM

Everything Millennium Point Charitable Trust achieves is made possible by the commercial activity that takes place in our landmark building. It all feeds back into the charitable trust, enabling it to donate and invest in STEM-related organisations, projects, and initiatives.

When booking events with Millennium Point you are widening your CSR and supporting the local region. Find out how and more about our 17 unique event spaces here.

Champion STEM with a grant from Millennium Point

At Millennium Point we believe that STEM is important for the future of the region. We are excited to see what this year’s applications bring.

The next round of applications for the 2022 grant are now open and close at 5pm on 3rd December 2021.

If you need any help, you can always contact our friendly team who will be happy to assist here.

Experience Earth like never before at Birmingham’s landmark city centre venue with Luke Jerram’s breath-taking Gaia. Millennium Point are delighted to be able to host the spectacular live art installation. Showing from 1^st February to 28^th March 2022 the unmissable sight will also be accompanied with a schedule bursting with exciting activities.

This 8-week installation of Luke Jerram’s Gaia artwork is our latest initiative to help entertain, educate, and inspire local communities.

An unimaginable view amongst the stars, all from the comfort of Earth

Luke Jerram is a British artist that creates sculptures, installations, and live art projects. Having more than 600 exhibitions in 44 countries, he is now known globally for his innovative arts practice and large-scale public artworks.

Luke Jerram’s Gaia aims to create the Overview Effect, but for people standing on Earth. First coined by author Frank White it features the experience that astronauts feel in space. Feelings of awe, an understanding of the interconnection of all life, and a sense of responsibility for taking care of the environment.

Hoping that it engages and starts the conversation on what we can do to protect our fragile blue planet, the travelling artwork also acts as a mirror to major events in society. Throughout the current COVID-19 pandemic, and after lockdown there has been a renewed respect for nature. Viewers may also gain a new perspective from Gaia, that everyone is all interconnected and have a responsibility toward one another.

The 7m in diameter artwork is 1.8 million times smaller than the real Earth with each centimetre of the internally lit sculpture describing 18km of the Earth’s surface. By standing 211m away from Gaia, the public will be able to see the Earth as it appears from the moon. Gaia will slowly revolve and be accompanied by a specially created composition by BAFTA award winning composer Dan Jones.

Performance beneath Gaia, MATTATOIO, Rome. Photo by Monkeys Video Lab.

Sustainability is a journey not a destination

As an award-winning landmark building, it is vital to do our part to aim to be as sustainable as possible. As times have changed, Millennium Point have adapted to try and become greener to protect are planet and promote the importance of sustainability. Having Gaia at Millennium Point we hope it transfers the same thought-provoking action that is needed to make a change.

You can find out more about our sustainability pledge here.

Make your event stand out with Gaia

Luke Jerram’s Gaia will be at Millennium Point for 8-weeks from Tuesday 1st February until Monday 28th March 2022, giving plenty of time for all to enjoy. Take advantage by hosting your event at Millennium Point during this period to give your guests a wow factor at no additional cost. Gaia is a unique piece that is sure to drive attendee numbers and spark conversations, while making your event one to remember. There is also an opportunity to upgrade your booking to include a welcome reception under Gaia, to greet guests in a way that is literally out of this world!

Discover more about our versatile spaces that are suitable for both public and private events here.

The Gaia exhibition is free and open to the public during standard Millennium Point opening hours from 2^nd February to 28^th March. More details on our exciting programme will be released in early 2022. You can keep up to date on the latest Gaia news with by signing up to our mailing list.

We understand at Millennium Point that this Christmas is more important than ever. That’s why we want to help bring the festive cheer with complimentary prosecco with Saturday Christmas party bookings.

Book a Saturday in November or December for your Christmas party at Millennium Point and we will upgrade your package to include complimentary prosecco for every table. We’ll also enter the booker into a prize draw to win £100 Amazon shopping voucher. Read more about our terms and conditions below.

Award-winning service without breaking the bank

Millennium Point has a range of bespoke packages to choose from:

Get a festive cinematic experience without Hollywood Film Party from £42.5pp + VAT

Bring the glitz of Hollywood to your Christmas Party. Your guests will walk the red carpet and get their glamour snaps against the photo wall. Once they’ve had their fill of our outstanding hospitality, they can take their seat in our giant screen Auditorium and enjoy a festive film screening of your choice.

The Hollywood Film Party is suitable for party sizes of 70 – 350.

Get ready to party like never before with our Dinner Dance Party from £38.50pp + VAT

Get your dance shoes ready and go for a festive party experience with out Dinner Dance Party package. This package comes with a sumptuous three course Christmas banqueting menu, stylish house table centrepieces, your own DJ and dancefloor and a private fully licensed bar. Got room for more? You can upgrade from a two to a three-course meal for just £42.50pp + VAT.

The Dinner Dance Party is suitable for party sizes of 70 – 200.

You can find out more on our dazzling Christmas parties on our dedicated Christmas page here, we can’t wait to celebrate with you.

Christmas

Want something more personalised?

We want to make every Christmas party special, so if you have something more bespoke in mind our fantastic events team are happy to help! Get in contact to discuss more.

We LOVE Christmas at Millennium Point!

This month we’ve been busy decorating with our 39ft Christmas tree ready for all the Christmas parties booked with 23,000 energy saving LED lights built by The Christmas Decorators.

The Christmas tree being set up is just the beginning of what we have in store for Christmas. Along with the decorations, a festive schedule brimming with fun activities is planned through the next two months for everyone to enjoy. You don’t need a Christmas Party as a reason to visit Millennium Point this festive season, find out more here.

Terms and Conditions for Late Space Offer

Choose an eligible Saturday in November or December for your Christmas Party at Millennium Point and we will upgrade your package to include complimentary prosecco for every table. In addition, the booker will be entered into a prize draw to win £100 Amazon shopping voucher.

Terms & Conditions

Contract must be signed by 3^rd December 2021. Following confirmation your package will automatically be upgraded and the event booker will be entered into the prize draw.
Upgrade is 1 bottle of Prosecco which will be given complimentary per 5 guests up to a maximum of 200 guests
Competition to win an Amazon voucher starts 8^th November 2021. Prize draw will take place on Friday 3^rd December 2021 with the winner being contacted shortly after via email.
Millennium Point Events may alter or withdraw this offer at any time.

SHOUT21, the festival of queer arts and culture for Birmingham and the West Midlands has announced its programme for 2021. The welcomed event will be running from the 5^th to 28^th November, with plenty in store for all.

SHOUT21 presents a broad range of queer culture, reflecting the kaleidoscopic diversity of LGBTQ+ communities in our city and region.

A wide range of diverse events to attend throughout November

SHOUT21 opens with an all-female queer comedy night at the Glee Club. My Comedy X SHOUT boasts a line-up of comedic greats from the likes of Shazia Mirza to the most exciting new acts on scene, Chloe Petts.

Be prepared to be transported to Subside Bar on 14^th November where you will be greeted to Queer Stories from the Home of Metal. Emerging in the West Midlands half a century ago, heavy metal has soon become one of the world’s most popular forms of culture. Now it’s time to celebrate the queerness that’s always been part of metal. In a scene that’s endlessly theatrical in music and costume, blending escapism, fantasy, and outsider culture.

If heavy metal isn’t your thing, take a historical trip to Spain for Hispanic Breakdown: The Copla Musical. Held at the MAC on 11^th November, in the heat of the Spanish Civil War, follow drag artist La Gitana’s story as she is rescued by a group of Republic fighters. She then sets out on a mission to spy on the forces that captured her. The artist moves continents, becomes a drag sensation, finds love, yet struggles to merge her Spanish past with her American future.

Wherever you are, SHOUT is accessible for all

Throughout the month there will also be several workshops that can be done in person and online. Attend Digital Shout Outs, presented on SHOUT’s YouTube channel, partnered with Round Lemon, a Birmingham based art collective. The workshop led by artists Dyson Ryan Asbury, Bethan Jayne, Andreea Pîslaru, William Shoal & Carmela Vienna will showcase creative ideas and practices that challenge the notion of body, identity, and sexuality.

Or write creatively with #Softlads: Creative Writing Workshop that responds to the fabulous tapestries created by Oliver Bliss. During the workshop, you will have a chance to creatively respond and explore the themes of Oliver’s works through your creative writing practice.

SHOUT it out, SHOUT it loud

Artists in SHOUT21 will explore issues from the historic erasure of trans people to abuses of power, from online expressions of masculinity to the giving and taking of offence. The festival also finds a home for a schlock horror drag monstrosity, a radical trans dance party, an intergenerational singalong and, of course, runway divas battling it out in the legendary Vogue Ball.

It’s a whirlwind three weeks of workshops, exhibitions, theatre, dance, films, talks, music, and creative experiences, in ten different Birmingham venues as well as a substantial online and digital programme.

Unmissable, Educational & Inclusive

With lots of events planned through the month, there will be something for everyone this SHOUT Festival. You can find out more on the events on their dedicated website here.

Why SHOUT and representation matters for LGBTQ+ in STEM

When it comes to looking at actual stats of the number of LGBTQ+ people currently working in STEM, they are very difficult to find. STEM Women estimations suggest that LGBTQ+ people are roughly 20% less represented in STEM fields than expected. In 2013 the Queer in STEM survey found that more than 40% of LGBTQ+ people in STEM are not ‘out’ due to working environments.

Therefore, when arts and cultural events like SHOUT take place, it becomes a vehicle through which we can educate on the LGBTQ+ experience and create a more inclusive and encouraging environment which can attract and retain LGBTQ+ talent in STEM and continue shrinking the skills gap.