Institute of Making presented 'Festival of Stuff: Stratford Extravaganza 2025'
On Saturday 21st June 2025, the Institute of Making hosted its large-scale, drop-in, and completely free Festival of Stuff: Stratford Extravaganza 2025, celebrating all things materials and making at their vibrant new location in Stratford, London.
Little Inventors were proud to be one of many brilliant contributors to this joyful event, which offered a day packed with captivating demonstrations, hands-on making activities, live music, and unexpected culinary adventures. Together, visitors explored the sheer joy of stuff.
In honour of their new breezy space on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, the festival took a deep dive into the theme of wind - explored through playful, interactive experiences. Attendees tried their hands at panpipes, propellers, Bernoulli balloons, and even hot air balloon activities. The crowd was wowed by a steam-fuelled Stirling engine, strutted down a ‘wind-o-graphy’ catwalk, and raced hovercrafts on a track powered by electric blowers.
Throughout the day, a flurry of specialist making practices came to life - ropemaking, basketry, parachute stitching, enzymatic plastic recycling, and screenprinting were all showcased by talented makers. Festival-goers cooked up tasty torched treats, took a dip into the pizza dough paddling pool, and explored the incredible Materials Library, which continues to inspire curiosity across disciplines.
We challenged people to "Think of an invention which uses wind to solve a problem, make something better, or just create something fun!". And boy did they blow us away with their imaginations!
“It was such a joy to be part of the Festival of Stuff at Stratford. The energy was fantastic all day - from curious kids to inventive grown-ups, everyone threw themselves into the spirit of creativity. Our workshop was buzzing with ideas, and it was brilliant to see people engaging so playfully and thoughtfully with the theme. Huge thanks to the Institute of Making for creating such a vibrant space for imagination to thrive!” - Phoebe Martin, Project & Event Co-ordinator, Little Inventors.
The Institute of Making, an interdisciplinary research organisation, features both a world-renowned Materials Library and dynamic workshop spaces. Their mission is to provide an inspiring, creative space for anyone interested in materials and making - whether through research, craft, science, or curiosity.
This joyful day of discovery was part of their ongoing Festival of Stuff series - free and open to all, welcoming families, students, tinkerers, and curious minds alike.
All pictures courtesy of The Institute of Making.