There are some professions out there that may not spring to mind when you think of STEM (science, tech, engineering and maths), most people think of scientists in lab but there’s so much more to these four subjects and the careers those who study them find themselves in.
We caught up with Marcus Jenkins, a musician, record producer and sound engineer at 2000 trees festival. Marcus runs the Neu stage at the festival which involves overseeing all elements of running the stage from; Sound Engineering, Lighting, Backline, and Stage Management and where he coordinates his sound engineering students from the University of Gloucestershire. The festival was crowned ‘Best Medium-Sized Festival’ at the Festival Awards 2018 and headlined by Frank Turner, You Me at Six & Deaf Havana.
Q: How did the link between you, the students and 2000 trees come about?
A: The University of Gloucestershire has a great relationship with the festival. I can’t exactly remember how it all started, but I recall meetings with Andy & James (2 of the organisers of 2000 trees) back in 2011 discussing the potential for our students working on The Greenhouse stage. The Greenhouse became The Croft and then, with the site re-jig a few years ago, became the Neu Stage.
Q: Any recommendations for artists over the weekend?
I’ll be faithful to the Gloucestershire locals: Floorboards, Watercolours, All Ears Avow, and of course, Jim Lockey & The Solemn Sun.
Q: When working as a sound engineer, do you get to enjoy the music, or do you have to be constantly switched on?
A: I’d like to think that the very nature of being a Sound Engineer means you are always switched on to what and who you are working with. There are some artists that might not suit your personal taste, but you can always get into the mix and provide a good service to the act and to the audience. If an act suits your musical taste, then mixing becomes a great pleasure.
Q: You must be busy all weekend with your job, do you get any downtime to go and see any acts?
A: There’s very little downtime when working on a stage which tends to be the nature of the work. However, as coordinator for the students volunteering on the stage, if anyone wanted to go watch one of their favourite acts on another stage then I will accommodate their request and rotate the team to make sure the work in our venue is covered.
Q: As you work as freelance sound engineer what other kind of events have you worked on?
A: I’ve worked for over 10 years as a freelance live sound engineer for a variety of different events from; music festivals, venues, touring bands, comedy, corporate, and conference work.
Q: Have you always wanted to work in the music industry?
A: Yes – from the age of about 18. Prior to that I didn’t really know what I wanted to do.
Q: At what age did you start getting involved in music, and to build on that; the technical side of things?
A: I started going to gigs from the age of 14 (sneaking into venues with age restrictions). Playing in bands around 16 and getting hands-on with tech from 18.
Q: What’s your most memorable experience working in Live music?
A: Touring with Crooks UK on their debut album EU/UK tour (w/ Boston Manor). The tour had to cease after a few shows due to ill health but the gigs we did were insane.
Q: What do you enjoy most about your job?
A: Live music, either at a festival or in concert, generates a certain energy. There’s nothing like getting the mix spot on and feeling the crew, room acoustic, and artist working together to deliver an excellent experience for the audience.
Q: So where and what did you study?
A: I studied a B-TEC at City of Bath College from 2004-2006 in Music Practice. This drove me to undertake a BA(Hons) at the University of Gloucestershire in Popular Music from 2007-2010.
Q: How did you find the course?
A: Really enjoyed the B-TEC as it got me started on my journey. I found my BA course unique as I was able to experiment with what I enjoyed most and networked along the way. I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for both experiences.
Q: Do you think it’s important that more young people get involved in STEM subjects?
A: Absolutely! There’s so much that can be learned by being exposed to right circumstances and experiences. Whether you are a practical or vocational learner, or reflector or theorist, there will be the right course out there for you in STEM should you want to learn more!
Q: You also work for University of Gloucestershire assisting students in the media school, how is that?
A: It’s amazing. I am lucky to be surrounded by inspirational students, where projects in the music studio or computer lab vary from day-to-day and I get to enjoy fantastic experiences like supporting my students working at great festivals like 2000 trees.
Q: Are the students solely focused on the technical side of things or is there a link between performance and engineering?
A: Our students in the Media School study either BA or MA degrees. So whilst technology links almost all things music, understanding and knowledge of tech isn’t essential before you start the course. We have fantastic facilities and support technicians, along with great lecturers that deliver all the right information and content for students to carry out their studies.
Q: What are the opportunities like for students once the graduate to work in the music industry and STEM?
A: From my experience in education, you get out what you put in. Music education and STEM subjects are no different. If you are committed and invest your time in your studies (and that includes time outside the classroom) then you will be able to find work.
Find out more about Marcus here and the Music courses at the University of Gloucestershire: Creative Music Technology, Music Business and Popular Music.
2000 Trees festival won the awards for ‘Best Medium-Sized Festival’ at the Festival Awards 2018 and tickets for 2020 are available at a discounted rate now – https://www.twothousandtreesfestival.co.uk/tickets/
Millennium Point is a landmark building in Eastside of Birmingham City centre. Owned by the Millennium Point Charitable Trust who supports science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) and education in the West Midlands, Millennium Point is home to award-winning events and conference spaces, including a 350-seat auditorium with Birmingham’s biggest screen, as well as tenants such as Thinktank Science Museum and Birmingham City University. For more information about the organisation get in touch.
We’re excited to announce we’ve been awarded AIM accreditation by the Meetings Industry Association (mia).
Aim accreditation is the UK’s only recognised quality standard for the meetings industry. To achieve this our facilities and services had to pass a stringent quality assurance assessment, which means that when you book our spaces you can be confident that we will do everything possible to reach and exceed your high standards.
Rebecca Delmore, Commercial Director, Millennium Point, said: “It’s fantastic testament to the highly experienced and dedicated team at Millennium Point that we have secured national AIM accreditation as it provides buyers a benchmark of the highest standard. We appreciate that it can sometimes be overwhelming as there are so many things to consider when planning an event from location to catering, photography, speakers, delegates and marketing. However, with our AIM accreditation, buyers can immediately feel confident they are working with dedicated and experienced professionals.”
Jane Longhurst, chief executive, the mia said: “We’re delighted that Millennium Point is the latest venue to secure AIM accreditation. The iconic status acts as a guarantee to buyers that they’re choosing a service provider that cares about best practice and actively strives to meet and exceed your expectations. With so many dedicated conference centres and hotels, sporting and academic venues to choose from nationwide, it offers a smart method to quality control your selections that could ultimately save you time, anxiety and reputational risk later down the line.”
If you’d like to talk to a member of our events team about holding your next event at Millennium Point, give them a call on 0121 202 2200 or email [email protected].
Each year, the Midlands Food, Drink and Hospitality Awards bring together the best venues, eateries, restaurants, bars and pubs across the region to celebrate their success within the industry.
We’re over the moon to share that Millennium Point has been shortlisted for Best Venue 2019, but we’re up against some stiff competition and need your help – we need you to vote for us!
To cast your vote, click here.
Voting closes 30th May 2019 with the winner announced at the awards doo 24th June 2019.
Best of luck to all the finalists in each category – we’ll see you on the 24th!
The list of speakers for DIDFest 2019 Finale Party have been announced and they’re a great mix of professional from across the digital/tech industry!
Following four weeks of 50 outstanding events across Birmingham with over 1,000 attendees #DIDFest2019 wraps up with a celebratory closing party at Millennium Point in Birmingham City Centre. Whether you attended any events or not as part of the festival this event will give you valuable insight, skills and tools to help you grow in digital and tech.
Meet the speakers
Dr. Charlotte Webb, co-founder of the Feminist Internet & Founding Director of Even
Nominated by the Evening Standard as one of the most influential people in Technology and Science in London in 2018 Dr. Webb has been featured by a wide range of media platforms and presented at TedX, Internet Age Media and Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity among many others.
Co-founder of the Feminist Internet, an ambitious non-profit advancing internet equalities for women and other marginalised groups through creative, critical practice and Founding Director of Even, an ethical tech consultancy that brings Feminist Internet intelligence to brands and businesses; Dr Webb brings a wealth of knowledge of the industry to DIDFest 2019.
https://twitter.com/otheragent?lang=en-gb | https://twitter.com/feministintrnet
Mac Alonge, CEO of The Equal Group
Over the last 10 years, Mac has worked with and for some of the world’s largest private and public sector organisations, including the likes of KPMG, National Grid, Capita and the Scottish and UK governments. Throughout his career, Mac has observed that there are numerous barriers within the workplace that prevent organisations from truly reaping the benefits that come from embracing greater levels of equality, diversity and inclusion. Mac’s mission is to ensure that the current generation leaves a legacy whereby equality and inclusion are the new ‘norm’ and differences are respected and valued.
“As we move towards being a digital economy, the digital sector will be responsible for shaping how we live our lives in the medium to long term – diversity in digital is imperative to ensuring that our future is more inclusive and representative than our past and indeed our current. Diversity and inclusion is a job for all of us!”
https://twitter.com/theequalgroup | https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-equal-group
Ria Blagburn, Team Integrator at Vanti and MD of GrowBeyond
Ria Blagburn spent the first decade of her career in marketing, during which she founded her own company and won the Birmingham Young Professional of the Year award for Marketing and Communications. Ria changed focus in 2019 to apply her skills in a new way at technology company Vanti. As Team Integrator, Ria supports and coordinates activities and resources on a day-to-day basis, whilst also designing and implementing processes that will help Vanti’s Service team to scale in line with the wider company strategy. A passionate champion of causes she believes in, Ria has chaired committees for Silicon Canal and BPS Birmingham Future, and has recently launched Birmingham Future’s newest committee to promote diversity and inclusion within the city’s professional services sector.
https://twitter.com/riaface?lang=en-gb | https://www.linkedin.com/in/riablagburn/
Genea Lynch, Digital Director at Exhibit Interactive
Genea Lynch is a stand designer turned App Developer. She specialises in creating applications in Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality.
https://twitter.com/GeneaLynch?lang=en-gb | https://www.linkedin.com/in/genea-lynch-b501464a/
More information to follow, so keep checking this blog for updates!
To book your tickets, click here.
In a galaxy not so far away – in fact, just a 15 minute walk from New Street station and 5 minutes from the new Primark – Millennium Point was taken over by the good, the bad and the bantha fodder of the Star Wars universe.
On Saturday 4th May, to celebrate Star Wars Day, Millennium Point became the Galactic Senate, as characters from the movies took over all of our event spaces for their Galactic Summit.
CONNECT
After a brief welcome, Lord Vader was making full use of the wireless presentation facilities in Connect with his ‘How to aim’ workshop – with a practical demonstration next door in the Connect Conference suite. There’s enough space for 120 delegates, then there’s definitely enough space for a little target practice. Rey was brought in as a consultant on the workshop following plummeting numbers in the Empire’s monthly happiness survey, which mostly sited Lord Vader and Kylo Ren as horrible bosses.
ATRIUM
Things got a little tense when Rey ran into Kylo, it’s a good job there’s plenty of space in our Atrium – so much that you can even park a Millennium Falcon (or other space ship) here, great if you’re looking to show off the latest model in a public space!
AUDITORIUM
Heroes & villains alike set aside their differences over popcorn to test out the giant screen. Those Stormtroopers, they’re so vain! Any excuse to watch themselves. I’m sure they would have preferred it to be filled out to its 350 capacity, but oh well boys – maybe for The Rise of Skywalker?
*Spoiler alert* Darth Vader is Luke’s farther!
PLATFORM
After the workshop in Connect and film in the Auditorium everyone was ready for a drink at the Cantina. Platform is just a few steps from our giant screen and presentation space, with a built-in-bar that overlooks the vibrant bustle of our central ATRIUM. If you held a party, workshop or performance here, you can be sure the space is exclusively for you, as this space isn’t open to members of the public.
Word gets around fast of the visit, as fans couldn’t resist getting a selfie or two outside ThinkTank.
After a jam-packed day of events around Millennium Point, it was time for the Galactic Summit to finish.
If you’re looking for a venue to hold your next event and would like to take a tour of our spaces, give our lovely events team a call on 0121 202 2200 or email [email protected].
Did you know that Millennium Point is actually a charity? Last year alone we contributed more than £4.8 million back into the region. It’s our aim to support the growth of science, technology, engineering and Maths (STEM) throughout the West Midlands.
Each year, not-for-profits and schools across the region can apply for funding that enables them to start projects supporting this aim, some have included; a careers convention with workshops and panel discussions encouraging more girls to take up careers in STEM, building a 3D printing and robotics lab in a school allowing students to gain experience in advanced technology or setting up a scholarship for a free undergraduate STEM degree.
Applications for our 2019 Grants programme 2019 are now open. We have 3 levels of funding:
• Under £2,000 (all entities)
• Under £2,000 (school specific)
• £2,000-£20,000 (all entities)
Applications for the 2019 scholarship will close at 11:59pm on 31st May.
To download the criteria and submit an application, visit the grants page. Or contact a member of the MP team on 0121 202 2200 or [email protected].
Call us geeky, but we love a good STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) activity here at Millennium Point! So we thought we’d put together some egg-cellent Easter activities you can do with the kids this Easter break – from rainbow rubber eggs and edible jelly bean slime, to egg drops and stop frame animation…
Rainbow Rubber Eggs
Who doesn’t want to bounce a real green rubber egg!?
You’ll need: jars, eggs, food colouring and vinegar.
You can teach children the power of osmosis, the coloured liquid will move between membranes (leading to such colourful eggs), but will never change the colour of the egg yolk.
For more information and to find out how you can to do it, click here.
Sparkly Salt Crystal Easter Eggs
A nice easy one with lots of science to boot!
You’ll need: Pipe cleaners, mason jars, salt, clothes pins, magnifying glass and scissors.
With this experiment you can learn all about ionic bonds, evaporation, molecule attraction and the chemical properties of salt and water.
For more information and to find out how you can to do it, click here.
Edible Jelly Bean Slime
Slime is pretty cool on its own, but you can eat this slime too – which makes it even cooler!
You’ll need: Jelly beans, a mason jar and corn starch.
This is a great experiment to introduce toddlers to science and slime; and you don’t have to worry about them putting it in their mouths – if anything, it’s encouraged! It’s also a great sensory activity for any children with autism and ADHD.
For more information and to find out how you can to do it, click here.
Easter Egg Drop
Decorate your egg, pad it out and then drop it out a window – will it survive the fall?
You’ll need: Raw eggs, various containers and padding – such as: bubble wrap, cotton wool, bin bags, food containers, string, tape, egg crates…
This is a fun way to get children thinking like an engineer – should I wrap it in something? Make a parachute? You can let them be as creative as you like! You can also set some design challenges to keep things fresh – perhaps they have to use a cardboard box or it has to fly?
For more information and to find out how you can to do it, click here.
Jelly Bean Stop Frame Animation
For all those budding directors, why not make your own film? You’ll be surprised at how much effort goes into this activity!
You’ll need: Jelly Beans (or other materials you can move around – it could be playdoh), a large foam board and a stop motion app.
Heard of Wallace and Gromit? The technique used to create the wonderful cheese filled world of Wallace is stop frame animation. This is a great activity to get kids using technology in a creative way. To make this an Easter activity, why not give it an Easter theme and have the story based around a bunny or chick?
For more information on this experiment and to find out how to do it, click here.
We hope you’ve enjoyed reading though these Easter activities. Here at Millennium Point we’re passionate about STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths), it’s the reason our charity is here – to support and invest in STEM projects across the region.
Let us know if you do any of the experiments – we’d love to see your pictures!
Laura Avis, 17, from Redditch, was last night (March 27th) named as the winner of this year’s Millennium Point Trust Scholarship programme.
Laura, who is set to begin studying Film Production Technology at the Faculty of Computing, Engineering and the Built Environment at Birmingham City University (BCU), secured a fully paid-for degree, after presenting to a panel of top industry judges and a captive audience during a live final event at Millennium Point.
Laura said: “Winning the Millennium Point Trust Scholarship programme is a dream come true and I’m so grateful to be given this incredible opportunity to kickstart my career.
“It’s important that young people are aware of the wide range of exciting STEM-related careers that are available to them and I am keen to tackle the misconceptions surrounding the subject. My chosen degree course is a proven example of this as it combines the art of film with the intricate technical detail that is also required in this line of work, and I can’t wait to get started.
“I’m very proud of all the other finalists. They are all so passionate about their chosen subjects and I wish them the very best of luck in their careers in the future.”
We’d like to say a huge congratulations to all of the finalists on this year’s Scholarship programme. The level of passion for their chosen topic, as well as the knowledge and enthusiasm that was shown on the night, was phenomenal – not to mention the courage that is needed to stand on stage and present to a panel of five industry leaders. There is no doubt that all five of these talented individuals have very bright futures ahead of them.
It’s an amazing thing to witness first-hand the growing interest in STEM among young people. Looking ahead, we will continue to invest back into the West Midlands and support STEM-related projects so we can raise awareness of the vast array of exciting and innovative careers available to the next generation of leaders. We’ll be working with all of the finalists to secure them opportunities to start their career as well as Laura’s degree funded through the Millennium Point Trust.
The scholarship programme, now in its fifth year, saw a record number of applicants, with almost 100 young people applying for 2019 –the highest entry level in the scholarship’s history.
The flagship initiative from the Millennium Point Charitable Trust is fully funded by the charity, which in 2018 invested more than £4.8m in STEM-related organisations, projects and initiatives, based in the West Midlands.
The finalists also included Jerome Adrien, 19, from Birmingham, who has applied for Automotive Engineering; Moses Mbikayi Mukendi, 17, from Coventry, who has chosen Computer Games Technology; Caitlin Cooper, 17, from Wolverhampton, who wants to study Computer Forensics; and Feargus Flanagan, 17, from Wolverhampton, who is looking to pursue Music Technology. All finalists will continue to receive support as part of the wider Scholarship programme.
The judges were:
- Liz Mercuri – a computer games programmer, Liz is Technical Evangelist at Unity Technologies and former BAFTA Young Games Designers Mentor.
- Hala Lloyd – lead architect at HS2 in Birmingham, Hala studied for her postgraduate diploma in Architecture at BCU.
- Simon Cox – Head of investigations at BBC Arabic and global journalism consultant.
- Gavin Wade – director of Eastside Projects in Digbeth, Gavin is an award-winning artist-curator, and a producer and curator of world-class public art, exhibition making, writing, and publishing.
- Professor Hanifa Shah – Executive Dean of the Faculty of Computing, Engineering & the Built Environment at Birmingham City University (BCU). She has held positions in Computing and Engineering departments at Aston, Staffordshire and Birmingham City University, and a Visiting Professorship at Manchester University. She also has several years’ industry experience, including at BT, Cadbury Schweppes and Britvic.
Applications for the 2020 Millennium Point Charitable Trust Scholarship open in September this year.
For more information on the Millennium Point Scholarship Project, please get in touch with our scholarship team.
Industry experts from the worlds of journalism, gaming, architecture and art are among the impressive panel of judges for this year’s Millennium Point Trust Scholarship.
A shortlist of five young people will present to the judges at a live final on March 27th, hoping to secure the funding for a fully paid-for degree, from a choice of courses at the faculty of Computing, Engineering and the Built Environment at Birmingham City University (BCU).
The judges are:
- Liz Mercuri, a computer games programmer, Liz is Technical Evangelist at Unity Technologies and former BAFTA Young Games Designers Mentor.
- Hala Lloyd who is the lead architect at HS2 in Birmingham, Hala studied for her postgraduate diploma in Architecture at BCU.
- Professor Hanifa Shah, the Executive Dean of the Faculty of Computing, Engineering & the Built Environment at Birmingham City University (BCU). She has held positions in Computing and Engineering departments at Aston, Staffordshire and BCU, and a Visiting Professorship at Manchester University. She also has several years’ industry experience, including BT, Cadbury Schweppes and Britvic.
- Simon Cox, Head of investigations at BBC Arabic and global journalism consultant.
- Gavin Wade, director of Eastside Projects in Digbeth, Gavin is an award-winning artist-curator, and a producer and curator of world-class public art, exhibition making, writing, and publishing.
The quality of judges rightly reflects the scholarship’s growing standing in the West Midlands and the wider community in science, tech, engineering and maths. This month’s final promises to be a fantastic showcase of the region’s emerging talent, and we are delighted to have Liz, Hala, Simon and Gavin on our panel.
The scholarship programme, now in its fifth year, is the flagship initiative from the Millennium Point Charitable Trust, and is fully funded by the charity, which in 2018 invested more than £4.8m in STEM-related organisations, projects and initiatives, based in the West Midlands.
Almost 100 people applied for 2019 – a year-on-year increase and the highest entry level in the scholarship’s history. The first scholarship winner, Malik Sheryar Karamt, graduated in July 2018 with first-class honours in Mechanical Engineering.
If your business is interested in attending the live final then please visit our Eventbrite page.
Exactly twelve months ago today, I was standing on the Promenade of Millennium Point’s Southside entrance with my fellow executive team members, looking out at a crowd of people gathered waiting expectantly for HRH Prince Harry and his then soon-to-be-wife Meghan Markle to arrive. Whilst this was a once in a life time moment for us, the real pride came from hosting an event that would truly inspire the young women of the West Midlands; my inner hope was that it would become a catalyst for change.
The Millennium Point Charitable Trust approached Stemettes, a social enterprise encouraging girls to pursue science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM), to host an inspirational women’s panel at Millennium Point to mark International Women’s Day and our guests would be young girls from a number of schools across the West Midlands.
However, what struck me most on the day, was that whilst the whole world was focused on the Royals, the girls were clearly focussed on learning about the opportunities available to them in the world of STEM. Having had the opportunity to speak directly to some of these young women I can truly say I was inspired by their passion and how they embraced every opportunity presented. At a point in their lives where they are making decisions which will impact both their route in to work and adult life, I was in awe of the maturity and sheer grit and determination to succeed.
In the twelve months since that remarkable day, our charitable trust has facilitated a number of projects and events which continue to encourage young girls to pursue STEM careers, and through these I have had the opportunity, and pleasure, to attend and learn more about the challenges and drivers for girls wanting to pursue STEM.
When we funded and hosted Monster Confidence in November, we found that the most common challenges amongst girls aged 15 were the lack of female role models in STEM industries, male dominated environments, lack of support and knowledge from parents and the inner voice that simply says, “I didn’t know girls could do that”. Overall, there was a common thread of anxiety amongst girls when it came to the thought of pursuing a career within STEM industries like computing and engineering. However, what I witnessed that day were girls finally realising that a STEM career was not only within their grasp but also incredibly creative. At that point, I found myself reminiscing about my school days and wishing I had been inspired in this way.
There is a reason why events like this are important; there is currently a shortfall of some 173,000 skilled STEM workers in the UK, with women occupying a mere 23% of roles in STEM industries. It’s no wonder that girls aren’t connecting with the industry; they are simply not seeing the great work being done by women in STEM every day. At Millennium Point we are trying to reverse this perception.
I have met some truly inspiring women this year and one of those is Faye Pressly, Chief Operating Officer of tech company Vanti. Faye presented to over 130 school girls at another event we hosted back in December called #GirlTechBrum, the brain child of a fantastic organisation called the Ahead Partnership. Faye not only opened my eyes to the vast amount opportunities available in STEM but also the high level of creativity needed in these careers; challenging a common misconception held by many. Faye is a perfect role model for young women and her enthusiasm for the industry is infectious. Hopefully, women like Faye will help reverse the increasing trend of female students leaving STEM because they feel the industries are still geared towards the male stereotype.
“Social belongingness”, essentially a tribe culture and seeing people which you can relate to in roles, classes and subjects becomes increasingly important during teenage years, and there is a clear link to mental health issues, for girls and boys, when this isn’t present. Anxiety is a real problem amongst our young people and figures show that it’s on the rise in Birmingham, affecting 58% of young people according to Brum Youth Trends. Figures also showed that 70% of those respondents who reported feeling “anxious all the time” were female. With job prospects, studying and aspirations shown as having the biggest impact on mental health, I hope that these events at Millennium Point are going some way to target and eradicate these anxieties.
As a female CEO, in an organisation with a high percentage of women in senior positions, it is my duty to ensure that we continue to champion women in STEM and continue to support organisations and initiatives which develop skills and confidence in girls. After all, these young women are the next generation of leaders in the West Midlands and I cannot wait to see their achievements. In the words of Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook, “I feel really grateful to the people who encouraged me and helped me develop. Nobody can succeed on their own.”
Abbie Vlahakis, Interim CEO Millennium Point and Millennium Point Trust.
If you’d like to talk more to us about our work championing STEM education and careers for young people drop us a line.
Millennium Point Trust is a charity supporting science, tech, engineering and maths projects and initiatives across the West Midlands. Funded by the commercial activity and events held in our building we’re proud to be supporting #internationalwomensday2019.
