Centenary events
Changemakers event
Changemakers event
On Saturday 2 October 2021, we welcomed students, staff, alumni and guests from the local community to a public celebration of our Centenary.
Our family-friendly ChangeMakers Festival, took place just 2 days before our official birthday on 4 October, marking 100 years since the University was founded as a living memorial to the people of Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.
The day included a series of lectures and talks, including Paralympic Gold medallist and PhD student Nick Cummins sharing his journey to winning Gold with Team GB’s Wheelchair Rugby team in Tokyo this summer, while there was also a showcase of a Century of pioneering research with talks from Leicester academics.
Kids had the chance to 'meet' the University’s resident juvenile Tyrannosaurus rex, Jane, solve a crime with the help of the School of Criminology, take part in archaeological activities, explore how researchers discovered the resting place of King Richard III in a Leicester car park – and much more.
Other attractions included art exhibitions at the Attenborough Arts Centre and performances on a special Centenary stage with a variety of African, Caribbean, Chinese and South Asian musicians and dancers representing Leicester’s cultural diversity.
The day drew to an end with a screening of Jurassic Park, featuring the late Richard, Lord Attenborough, as a nod to the University's connection with the Attenborough family.
2/10/2021 - enjoying the ChangeMakers Centenary Festival in spite of the downpour.
2/10/21021 - Paralympic Gold medallist and PhD student Nick Cummins shares his journey to winning Gold with Team GB’s Wheelchair Rugby team in Tokyo 2021.
2/10/2021 - families enjoyed activities including meeting our replica skeleton of Richard III
2/10/2021 - a range of performers helped us celebrate including dancers, poets and musicians
2/10/2021 - Poetry in Motion perform at the ChangeMakers Centenary Festival
2/10/2021 - Staff, students, alumni and members of the local community joined the celebration at the ChangeMakers Centenary Festival.
2/10/2021 - musician Ling Peng performs at the ChangeMakers Centenary Festival