FLYING cars, a fairytale forest and robots from the future can be seen in Eston, Middlesbrough this week as a new Arts Centre opens.

The brand new cultural space, Eston Arts Centre, is situated on the High Street, and has already had people stopping to take notice.

One resident who was passing said she thought she “had walked into real life episode of Dr Who”, and was excited because she thought she “might bump into Bradley Walsh”, who plays one of the Doctor’s companions on the programme and also presents The Chase. The centre opened its doors yesterday.

The exhibition is part of British Science Week – a ten-day celebration of Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) – that is taking place around the country.

Eston Arts Centre’s first exhibition called Let Your Dreams Shape Your Future, has taken its inspiration from the industry in the vicinity and the groundbreaking work being done by Nova Pangaea Technologies, who are based at Wilton in Redcar.

Kirsty Childs, the director of Eston Arts Centre said: “Teesside has been famous for its industry for almost 200 years, from the iron ore found on the Eston Hills that saw Middlesbrough grow from a small hamlet to become Victorian England’s first new town to its proud association with steel.

“It’s fascinating to see the role that technology, industry and innovation still play here, and what it can offer in the 21st Century.

“I was inspired by the work being done by Nova Pangaea to address how we can create a sustainable future for the planet. They gave me and a group of local residents a fascinating talk and tour of their site, where they showed us the process of converting biomass residues, such as straw, wood and cane, into sugars for biofuels, and how it could be an alternative to crude oil refining.

“Leading on from the tour, residents from Jubilee Court in Eston, an extra care retirement housing scheme, were inspired to create artworks about what they saw.

“We also worked with children and families from the local area and from as far afield as Whitby who created artworks especially for the exhibition.

“We explained to people what Nova Pangaea were doing and asked people about the impact that science and technology has had on their lives and asked what the world will look like in the near future.

“It’s amazing to see what people have produced, and I’m sure visitors to the centre will find lots to be enthralled and excited about.

“Teesside is a place full of scientific and creative talent and we wanted to shine a spotlight on that.

“Art and science are thought to be different disciplines, but in fact share many similarities in how they can challenge perceptions, get us to look at the world anew, and offer solutions for the betterment our lives.

“We want this exhibition to highlight Eston and the surrounding areas, offer visitors an insight and to take an interest into the industry around them, and to encourage the budding scientists and artists of the future.”