Electric Dreams

Electric Dreams, formerly Watts in a Home, was a nationwide public engagement project led by the Women’s Engineering Society (WES) and funded by the Royal Academy of Engineering’s Ingenious programme. Designed to mark the centenary of the Electrical Association for Women (EAW), the initiative celebrated women’s contributions to electricity and engineering in domestic life, past and present, while equipping engineers with creative public engagement tools to engage diverse audiences. 

The project trained over women 40 engineers in a variety of public engagement skills, including storytelling, and using the EAW history as context. These engineers and WES collaborated with science centres, museums and creative practitioners to deliver interactive events across six UK venues, including Glasgow Science Centre, Techniquest, Cardiff and M-Shed Bristol. Activities ranged from circuit-building and wind turbine workshops to pop-up exhibitions and a theatrical adaptation of the rediscovered EAW play Watts in a Home, Watts in a Home 2, Then and Now. Collectively, these events reached more than 3,000 visitors to these attractions. 

Electric Dreams achieved strong outcomes in both public engagement and professional development. Engineers reported increased confidence and communication skills, and 100% of surveyed attendees said they enjoyed the events and learned more about engineering. Legacy resources - including two short films, ‘talking head’ video interviews with women engineers, downloadable activities and venue-specific trails - were created to extend the project’s impact. 

Key lessons emerged around collaboration and accessibility. Engineers responded positively to strengths-based training and valued opportunities to explore creative engagement. Flexibility in scheduling and regional partnerships proved essential for participation. Free-entry venues and locally tailored content helped attract more diverse audiences, while cross-sector collaboration between engineers, heritage professionals and creatives enriched the experience for all involved. 

Ultimately, Electric Dreams showcased the potential of inclusive, interdisciplinary engagement to celebrate engineering heritage and inspire future innovation. Plans are underway to build on this success through further funding, resource sharing and continued collaboration with partner venues.