MAPP Investigators have announced their involvement in the city-wide Festival of the Mind, a unique collaboration between academics from the University of Sheffield and experts from the city’s cultural and creative industries, running from Thursday 20th to Sunday 30th September 2018.

As part of the Festival, the Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Sheffield, will present an exhibition of iconic portraits, all depicting mechanical engineering researchers and their work.

The result of a collaborative and creative partnership with Orestes, a Sheffield-based photographer who specialises in portraiture, the exhibition aims to challenge pre-conceptions of modern engineering and engineers.

The MAPP Investigators taking part are Dr Candice Majewski and Dr Kamran Mumtaz.

Dr Majewski is also taking part in the Festival's Ignite Academy event on Thursday 20th September at Sheffield's Crucible Theatre. The free event gives people a chance to hear 19 talks, each lasting five minutes and created for a public audience. Dr Majewski's talk is titled Why all the fuss about 3D printing. It will provide "a whistle-stop tour of where it all came from, why we're excited about it now, and what it means for the future."

Dr Beverley Gibbs, Director of Learning and Teaching (Strategy) and Senior University Teacher in Engineering Management, worked closely with Orestes on the development of the portrait project:

“Although the work of mechanical engineers has been an important part of society for thousands of years and played an important role in Sheffield becoming a world-famous city, perceptions of our work are a bit stuck in the 1800s.

“We wanted to take this opportunity to show how relevant and creative mechanical engineering is, and have enjoyed working with Orestes to focus on people who do this kind of work and the kind of objects they work with.”

Coinciding with the Year of Engineering, this unique visual project offers an insight into the breadth of 21st Century mechanical engineering and the people involved.

Ten academics are featured in the exhibition, depicted with their research interests which span the human skeleton, aeroplanes and wearable technology through to body organs, sports equipment, wind turbines, car engines, 3D printing and fuel combustion.

As Orestes, the photographer who developed each image, adds:

"This project has been a brilliant opportunity for me to find out a little more about the fascinating mechanical engineering research taking place at the University of Sheffield. It has also been a rewarding and creative challenge to work on images that show the connection between the researcher and the work that they do, in a way that hopefully engages the viewer."

Vice-President and Head of Engineering, Professor Mike Hounslow said:

"At Sheffield, we pride ourselves on delivering pioneering, interdisciplinary research that makes a real difference locally, nationally and globally. At its heart, engineering is a very creative discipline, something we share with those in the Arts.

"We aim to inspire people with the power of engineering through these interactive exhibits and make engineering research more accessible to the general public at this family-friendly, city-wide event."

Visitors can view the Mechanical Engineering exhibition at Sheffield Cathedral throughout the Festival of the Mind (free of charge, no ticket required). Festival of the Mind also includes additional projects involving the wider Faculty of Engineering,