Have a go at making with technology

Technology can feel like something that happens to us — built elsewhere, by other people, in ways we're not invited to see or touch. Who Programmed This? is a day for pulling that apart a little. For getting hands-on with the messy, curious, creative insides of tech, whether you've never written a line of code or you tinker for a living.

This is a day of drop-in activities, workshops, talks, installations and demos, all under one theme: Hand-Made with Tech.

Who it's for

Everyone. Genuinely.

If you're the kind of person who already makes with tech or takes things apart to see how they work, you'll find your people here. But this event is built just as much for people who don't usually get close to the "black box" of technology — because curiosity shouldn't require a head start. Kids, parents, teachers, complete beginners, lifelong makers, and everyone in between are welcome to come, try something, and leave a little more confident that tech is something you can make with, not just consume.

No prior skills needed. No special equipment required. Just bring your curiosity.

What's on

Across the day you'll find:

  • Drop-in activities and demonstrations — come and go as you please, dip a toe in
  • Timed workshops — get properly started with a new skill or way of making
  • Installations and creations — things to explore, experience, and wonder at
  • A panel talk: "Hand-Made with Tech" — a conversation about creativity and making, spanning old and new tools

The theme is deliberately broad. Expect a mix of code, circuits, craft, and things that don't fit neatly into any category at all .

A detailed list of activities and how to take part will appear here soon.

Part of something bigger

Who Programmed This? is our contribution to Processing Community Day — a single day when independent, locally-organised events like ours happen in communities all over the world, all in celebration of art, code, and diversity.

Processing Community Day is coordinated by the Processing Foundation, the non-profit behind Processing and p5.js — free, open-source tools that have opened up coding to generations of artists, educators, and self-taught makers who might never have called themselves "programmers." The Foundation's mission is about making software literacy part of the arts, and making tech-related fields more accessible to people who haven't always had an easy way in.

That spirit runs right through our event, too: this is a day built on the belief that making with technology should be open to anyone curious enough to try — not reserved for people who already speak the language.

After dark

Once the sun goes down, the day gives way to Who Programmed This? (Dark Mode On) — an 18+, ticketed evening event at nearby Roseberry Road Studios (7:30–11pm), celebrating music, visuals, and performance that's hand-made with tech.

This event is co-produced by the Centre for Creative Technology and POLYMATHIC.

More details coming soon

We're still building out the full programme — check back for updates on activities, workshops, and how to get involved.

Want to contribute or find out more?

Email: d.webb@bathspa.ac.uk