Ged Matthews

Director of LIGHT YEARS Studio, Durham University

What do you do?

I have always loved science, technology, and ‘The Big Questions’, but in truth, didn’t have the patience or attention to detail to be a scientist, and went down the creative path – even though those paths are not mutually exclusive, I still would have made a bad scientist. But I have always been fascinated by how, throughout our history, human imagination fills in the blanks of what we don’t know (which is, of course, a lot). 

How are you involved in this area of science? 

My big idea is ‘Space-place-making’, a phrase that started as a joke but has since established itself. My two big projects are Street Cosmos and LIGHT YEARS Studio. Both art+science projects that promote interdisciplinarity and collaboration across wildly different people. 

Street Cosmos connects worldclass research from Durham University, with community centres in County Durham (Blackhall, Barnard Castle, Bishop Auckland). We use creative activities as a gateway into space, and space as a gateway into all STEM. Street Cosmos enables communities to design their own engagement programme, backed-up by expert knowledge from the University. 

LIGHT YEARS Studio is part of a large regional Place Partnership coalition, funded by Arts Council England, Durham County Council and the UK Government. Art and creativity to excite the public (especially young people but not exclusively) about space and County Durham’s role in the past, present and future of space knowledge and technology. 

What do you love about this topic?

“Space”, the cosmos, it’s EVERYTHING. The only way you can consider it in its totality is to expand your mind and embrace a specific mental state (that our brains haven’t really evolved to handle!). It’s terrifying and comforting, overwhelming and liberating all at the same time. Every human being feels this on some level - it’s the great equaliser. On the big questions (e.g. alien life) after a certain point, the most knowledgeable will tell the least knowledgeable – “Your guess is as good as ours”. 

It's no wonder that of the 5 highest grossing movies of all time, 4 are set in space. 

How does this work deliver real-world impact?

My projects are attempting to spark a new (cultural) Space Age in the North East of England (and then all of the UK). So far, it’s been like pushing at an open door and our projects have attracted people of all ages and backgrounds. Amongst the public, the appetite is enormous. Street Cosmos worked with 4,000 members of the most underserved communities, in under a year, with constant demands for more. One event - BIG BANG: A Summer Space Fayre - attracted over 1,000 people to rural Teesdale on a wet Saturday (tripling the previous record for attendance at the venue). The people want a New Space Age! 

Find out more:

• Explore the work of Street Cosmos 
• Watch a recent video by Street Cosmos
• Find out more about LIGHT YEARS Studio
• Learn more about our involvement with the Into the Light project