Farnborough Airport opens the Nexus
Above:
Catherine Guest and Simon Geere in front of the Nexus mural.
Courtesy Farnborough Airport
Conceived as an inspirational focal point to bring people and information together, the Nexus offers state-of-the-art facilities to support improved knowledge sharing and communication, with particular emphasis on forging improved links between the airport and its local community.
Benefitting from the latest conferencing and events technology, including simultaneous in-room and virtual live-stream presentation capabilities, the Nexus offers a dynamic and inspiring space for groups of up to 50 people to engage, collaborate and learn.
As well as providing a high-tech centre to host community and educational events, the Nexus will be used as a primary learning and development centre for employees of the Farnborough Airport Company, as well as being available for third party hire.
To mark the opening, Farnborough Airport warmly welcomed a group of year nine students from Cove Secondary School in Farnborough, for a visit and tour of the airport, with the intention of raising awareness on how subjects such as science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) apply to aviation.
Dr Andrew King, Headteacher at Cove Secondary School commented: “We are thrilled that our students have the opportunity to visit Farnborough Airport for the opening of the Nexus Community Hub. This is a fantastic event that will capture their imagination and inspire them to generate ideas of how we can make Cove School even more sustainable in the future. The day will give our students an insight into the aviation industry and links closely with our own STEAM programme. They are very excited and will gain a huge amount from the day.”
As part of the development of the Nexus, Farnborough Airport also commissioned a local student from the neighbouring University of the Creative Arts in Farnham (UCA) to create a full-scale wall mural. The mandate was to create a piece of artwork that would pay homage to the success of the airport and the town of Farnborough over the years, entitled ‘One Airport. One Town. One Legacy’.
Catherine Guest, the UCA BA (Hons) Fine Art student, unveiled the mural at the inaugural Nexus event today and commented: “I was really excited when I first heard about the project. As a person I am passionate about the community and the sense of belonging we feel when we are part of a collective. When Farnborough Airport explained that they wanted to create a space to welcome the local community and encourage connection, I knew it was something I wanted to be involved in.
“The team at Farnborough Airport were so easy to work with and really took the time to understand and help me to develop my ideas. I’m a mixed media artist and I love to combine different elements in my work. Farnborough Airport and the Farnborough Air Sciences Trust (FAST) Museum have an amazing collection of images and documents and I wanted to use these in a creative way to explore some of the key moments in the history of Farnborough and the airport. I experimented with lots of pictures and photographs before I decided to create clusters of collaged elements through the piece, incorporating the images I felt were important.”
Speaking on his inspiration for creating the Nexus, Simon Geere, CEO at Farnborough Airport commented: “Together with our community, we have a unique place in aviation history. We are proud of our pioneering legacy and the role that we have played in both our local community and wider economy over the years. It’s difficult to think of another location where the airport and its local area are so inextricably linked. It’s with this in mind that we are committed to further strengthening the bond between Farnborough Airport and the local community by making the airport more open and available for the benefit of the local area. We are immensely proud to open the Nexus, a versatile space to bring people together and create a sense of belonging within the community. We want people to share in our story and our history as the home of British Aviation, where innovation, education and community thrive together, ensuring a brighter and more prosperous tomorrow for all. One Airport. One Town. One Legacy.”
Future visits to the Nexus will involve a range of attendees – from schools and colleges, through to local civic and special interest groups – all keen to find out more about Farnborough Airport’s work and its significance as the UK’s leading business aviation airport. The Nexus will also be used as a venue for specialist aviation-related events for those interested in the subject and the airport’s importance to both the history of aviation and its future.
For safety and security reasons, visits to the Nexus will take place as pre-arranged events and by invitation.
