The vision: To highlight the rich astronomical heritage of the principal minority cultures of Birmingham, and to demonstrate that the sky and its wonders has belonged to all people of all societies throughout history.
Project Summary: Working with local community groups (eg. the Birmingham Chinese Community Centre), we have so far researched and created two cultural astronomy planetarium shows: Arabian Stars (2007) and Written in the Stars: Chinese Art in the Sky (2009). Focus groups from local communities helped us evaluate the shows, ensuring they carried a local flavour as regards traditional star lore. Making full use of our digital planetarium’s capabilities, the content of the shows is designed to inspire and stimulate further interest in astronomy – both as a career and as a hobby.
Your contact name: Mario Di Maggio
Your organization: Thinktank, Birmingham
Participants: Local ethnic minority communities and general museum visitors