THE UNIVERSITY of Reading saw more than 10,000 people taking part in its Centenary Community Festival and RAG Parade last week.
The event was held as part of the university’s ongoing programme of centenary celebrations.
The Community Festival returned for its fourth year, proving to be its biggest yet with an estimated 8,500 people attending.
Whiteknights campus was opened up for a day full of research talks, workshops and activities, tours, live entertainment, food and drink.
University researchers shared their work in popular sessions exploring gut health, whether AI bots can be fair jurors, and how we can attempt to outsmart cancer.
Stands and stalls across the campus showcased more research and the University’s engagement with charities and organisations in the region.
Visitors got a first glimpse at the new Learning Garden created in the Harris Gardens, which will be used by students at the university and local schoolchildren to learn about the environment.
Staff and student-led centenary projects were also showcased, including the public launch of a new artistic mural on the Edith Morley building.
The mural depicts scenes from the university’s history, collections and aspects of student life, capturing experiences from the past right up to the present day.
There was also a traditional Raising and Giving parade, originally organised annually by students in the university’s earliest years, which was brought back especially for the centenary celebrations.
A float parade through the streets was jointly organised by the university and its Students’ Union. It followed a route last seen in 1984, travelling through the town from Broad Street Mall to Forbury Gardens.
An estimated 3,000 people attended, and enjoyed giant puppets and costumes, musical performances, walking tours and plenty of flag-waving.
Professor Robert Van de Noort, University of Reading Vice-Chancellor, said: “To welcome more than 10,000 people to our centenary celebrations over the course of a single weekend was simply fantastic.
“Seeing families explore Whiteknights, hearing researchers share their work with curious visitors, and watching the streets of Reading come alive with the colour and energy of the RAG Parade, show how important the university and the town are to each other.
“The weekend’s activities are a celebration of our centenary and an expression of our belief that a great university is connected with the communities that surround it, working together to build prosperous futures.
“As we look ahead to our next 100 years, these relationships and those efforts will matter more than ever.”
