As part of the Manchester Institute of Biotechnology’s (MIB) community engagement collaboration with Multilingual Manchester (MLM), two researchers visited a local language community group to do a tailored outreach session. As an expansion to previous work, the two scientists, Dr. Fabio Parmeggiani and Chiara Colletto from the School of Chemistry, performed the long-running “Solids, Liquids and Gases” show translated into Italian. The show featured the freezing of a banana in liquid nitrogen, a colour-changing alkaline solution being turned acidic by dry ice and impressive explosions of hydrogen balloons.

Overall the show was well received, with parents describing the experience as:

“…engaging for kids of all ages”

“ a great performance”

“perfect to interest the kids”

“an amazing show that showed how chemistry can be interesting and not only formulas”.

This event was part of the Inspiring Language Communities initiative set up by the MIB and MLM to give bilingual residents of Manchester the linguistic tools to discuss science and career/subject choices in their local communities. It also aims to lower the barrier to public engagement for non-native speakers of English who are researchers at the University of Manchester.