On 14 May 2026, the UCL Centre for Climate Change and Sustainability Education (CCCSE) and the Science Education Special Interest Group hosted a joint seminar showcasing eight years of interdisciplinary research at the intersection of music, engineering, and sustainability. Dr Alison Kitson, CCCSE Programme Director, opened the session by introducing the Centre's Teaching for Sustainable Futures CPD modules, including "Where to Start in Primary Music" (developed with Hazel Baxter), which explores soundwalks, music inspired by nature, and instruments made from natural and upcycled materials. A secondary music module follows in September. The main presentation, "Let's Play! Music, Making, Engineering and Sustainability in Schools," was delivered by the core research team: Dr Nicolas Gold (UCL Computer Science), Dr Ross Purves and Prof Evangelos Himonides (both UCL IOE, Department of Culture, Communication and Media). Drawing on constructionism, "hard fun" and computational thinking, the trio traced their project from a 2018 LEGO guitar prototype through school workshops with pupils aged 11–14, where children built acoustic and digital instruments programmed in Python. Responding to increasingly pressing environmental and cost factors, the team has now developed a more sustainable platform: a recycled cardboard block construction system, paired with open-hardware BBC Micro:bits and Raspberry Pi. Recent primary-school field testing proved the platform to be robust and engaging, with further secondary-school trials planned for July 2026. Supported by a HEIF grant, the team is now exploring social-enterprise routes to make the platform accessible to educators and the wider public.
