The program will explore the science behind the tunnel, including how it was built underground and its architectural features as well as Brunel’s wider engineering legacy. From craft to tech, through design and science, the Tunnellers Club aims to be a bridge (or should that be a tunnel?) between the young Rotherhithe community and the incredible story of the Thames Tunnel, the first underground tunnel under a navigable river in the world.
The “Tunnellers Club” is open for children aged 5-11 and will be held at the Brunel Museum on a monthly basis, starting on the 13th of November 2022.
Session 1 – Tunnel ABC / In collaboration with Bizzie Bodies CIC
- 13th November 2022
Time: 10:00am to 12:00pm
How do we build a tunnel and what are the challenges we’re facing in building one?This session will answer to the many questions an engineer would face when approaching the construction of a Tunnel, just like the Brunel family did. With shapes and cut-outs of recycled material, families will build their own tunnel structure, understanding the basics of tunnel engineering.
Book tickets: Tunnellers Club – Session 1: Tunnel ABC – The Brunel Museum – Art Tickets
Session 2 – It’s a 3D Tunnel / In collaboration with Bizzie Bodies CIC
- 11th December 2022
Time: 10:00am to 12:00pm
Opening a conversation around the evolution of engineering and the available tools, in this session families will scan the tunnel structures in order to visualise them in a 3D modelling software. Under professional guidance the structures will be edited on laptops and transferred to 3D printers to bring them to life.
Book tickets: Tunnellers Club – Session 2: It’s a 3D Tunnel – The Brunel Museum – Art Tickets
Session 3 – Virtual Tunnels / In collaboration with Bizzie Bodies CIC
- 15th January 2023
Time: 10:00am to 12:00pm
Using iPads and a LiDAR software, families will be able to build a virtual world by photographing the space around them and see that on laptops. LiDAR technology, which stands for Light Detection and Ranging, generates a 3d model of through the laser scan of real life objects and environments, becoming increasingly common in devices like smartphones, robot vacuums, and self-driving car prototypes.
Book tickets: Tunnellers Club – Session 3: Virtual Tunnels – The Brunel Museum – Art Tickets
Session 4 – Magical Mirrors / In collaboration with STEMAZING
- 12th February 2023
Time: 10:00am to 11:00am
Marc Brunel was an amazing engineer and even made his own measuring device for use at sea that used mirrors – called an Octant. In this session, families will create their own magic with mirrors by making a kaleidoscope.
Book tickets: https://the-brunel-museum.arttickets.org.uk/the-brunel-museum/2023-02-12-tunnellers-club-session-4-magical-mirrors
Session 5 – Terrific Tunnels / In collaboration with STEMAZING
- 12th March 2023
Time: 10:00am to 11:00am
In this practical session, families will have fun trying to build a tunnel through mud without touching the mud with the hands. A challenge Marc Brunel faced when building the Thames Tunnel.
Book tickets: https://the-brunel-museum.arttickets.org.uk/the-brunel-museum/2023-03-12-tunnellers-club-session-5-terrific-tunnels
Session 6 – Brilliant Boats / In collaboration with STEMAZING
- 16th April 2023
Time: 10:00am to 11:00am
Isambard Kingdom Brunel revolutionised naval engineering. He built the biggest and fastest ships that crossed the Atlantic. In this session, families will build their own propelled boat to see it move across the water under its own power!
Book tickets: https://the-brunel-museum.arttickets.org.uk/the-brunel-museum/2023-04-16-tunnellers-club-session-6-brilliant-boats
Session 7 – More Virtual Tunnels / In collaboration with Bizzie Bodies CIC
• 14th May 2023
Time: 10:00am to 12:00pm
Recommended for children aged 7-11.
Due to the incredible demand for our Virtual Tunnels session, we have scheduled an additional one for families to discover and play with iPads and LiDAR software at the Brunel Museum, in collaboration with Bizzie Bodies CiC. Families will have the opportunity to use this technology to capture their surroundings and create a 3D model of real-life objects and environments through laser scanning. LiDAR technology, an acronym for Light Detection and Ranging, is commonly found in devices like smartphones, robot vacuums, and self-driving car prototypes. The virtual world can be viewed on laptops, providing an immersive experience for families.
Book tickets: https://www.artfund.org/explore/events/2023/05/14/tunnellers-club-session-7-more-virtual-tunnels
Session 8 – Discovering Density / in collaboration with STEMAZING ltd
- 4th June 2023
Time: 10:00am to 11:00am
Recommended for children aged 5-11.
Engineers need to understand the ground they are building on, or tunnelling in, to ensure that their designs will work in real life. In this session, families will explore the density of various materials and observe their interactions through a lava lamp experiment.
Book tickets: https://www.artfund.org/explore/events/2023/06/04/tunnellers-club-session-8-discovering-density
The programme is supported by the Royal Society’s Places of Science grant
