Creative tech experiences for students across Northern Ireland & beyond
STEAM Studio is Liberty IT’s flagship education programme, created to inspire and engage students aged 13–15 through a blend of creativity, technology, and career insight.

Delivered in partnership with National Museums NI, the initiative gives students an immersive day of hands-on learning at the Ulster Museum, combining elements of science, technology, engineering, the arts and maths (STEAM) in a fun, memorable way.
Since its launch, STEAM Studio has welcomed over 1,400 students, and demand continues to grow. With expansion now underway, we sat down with Laura Mackin, Liberty IT’s Director of Communications and Marketing, to explore the journey so far and what’s ahead.
STEAM Studio’s Origin
Laura, where did the idea for STEAM Studio come from?
At Liberty IT, we’ve always had a strong focus on inspiring the next generation of tech talent; it’s a big part of our community impact strategy. So, when we kept hearing from schools that many students still aren’t exposed to the range of careers in tech, especially in a way that feels accessible and exciting, and knowing post-pandemic pressures were making it harder for schools to afford external learning experiences, we decided to create something that was not only engaging but also completely free and inclusive.
At the same time, we wanted something curriculum-linked that was inspiring and genuinely memorable. That's how STEAM Studio came to life.
How STEAM Studio Works
What makes STEAM Studio different from other tech education initiatives?
We didn’t want to run a one-off event. We wanted something deeper and more meaningful, something that would actually stick with students. Working with National Museums NI gave us access to the amazing Ulster Museum, and that sparked a lot of creativity. The programme combines a walk through the museum’s fine arts exhibition with hands-on coding.
Students take photos of the artwork that inspires them and then use Microsoft MakeCode Arcade to turn those ideas into their own personalised video game. It’s tech and creativity working together — and it’s brilliant to see students light up during the process. Our own Liberty IT ambassadors are there every step of the way, helping guide them through the day and sharing their own career stories. That part always gets fantastic feedback.
Can you tell us a bit about the day itself — what does the student experience look like?
Sessions run on Mondays when the museum is closed to the public, which gives students a totally unique setting to learn and explore. After a welcome from our education team and a walk-through of the art exhibition, students go off to photograph the pieces that speak to them.
Then the real fun begins; using tablets, they design and code their own game inspired by their chosen artwork. By the end of the day, they walk out with a game they’ve created themselves and the skills to keep building on it in school. The Liberty IT team is there throughout, offering help, encouragement, and sometimes just a bit of debugging support!
STEAM Studio Feedback
How has the response been so far?
Honestly, it’s blown us away. Every school has rated it five stars so far! We started looking to test and learn, but the feedback from teachers and students was so overwhelmingly positive that we moved quickly to roll the programme out more widely.
Soon, we’d welcomed over 1,400 students from all over Northern Ireland. What’s been especially important to us was to reach students from all kinds of schools and backgrounds. Because we covered travel costs, no school was left out, and we adjusted the activities depending on students' experience with technology.
STEAM Studio: Looking Ahead
Laura, what’s next for STEAM Studio?
We’re growing! We always dreamed of making STEAM Studio available to every school in Northern Ireland — and we’ve done that.
We've just completed a pilot programme at the Galway City Museum, tailored to the Irish curriculum. It follows a similar structure but with a fresh local twist. We partnered again with a diverse mix of schools to ensure the experience was inclusive and inspiring for everyone who took part.
Watch this space for our official Galway launch!
Want to get involved?
If you’re a school interested in booking a session, head to the Ulster Museum’s STEAM Studio page for availability and booking info and for updates on our expansion to Galway, visit our STEAM Studio page.
And if our team’s work inspires you and want to help build what comes next, take a look at our latest career opportunities.

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