Watts in a Home: Then and Now

We were commissioned by the Women’s Engineering Society to create a short play for their Electric Dreams festival celebrating the incredible women working in electrical engineering. Watts in a Home: Then and Now explored the question: “Can electricity emancipate women from drudgery?” by taking a closer look at domestic appliances from three different ages – 1935, 1985 and 2035.

Watts in a Home was performed at science museums around the country including The National Museum of Computing, Techniquest Cardiff, Discovery Museum Newcastle, Glasgow Science Centre, and M Shed Bristol.

Electric Dreams celebrated 100 years of women’s involvement in engineering and power in the home, catalysed by the Electrical Association of Women which was formed in 1924.  The project was funded by a Royal Academy of Engineering Ingenious grant.

As well as our performances, which prompted discussion and engagement, audiences were able to discover the amazing story of the Electrical Association for Women and how they brought power to our lives. In conjunction with the Women’s Engineering Society, as part of a Royal Academy of Engineering project, engineers will led super-charged, hands-on activities that had visitors buzzing with excitement!

Attendees had the chance to connect with female engineers currently working in the industry, who were on hand to share their experiences and insights.