Careers Event - Year 11 Maths Inspiration Trip

On 11th November, Year 11 students from Aldridge School visited the Crescent Theatre in Birmingham to take part in this year’s Maths Inspiration Show. The event was designed to showcase how mathematics connects with art, technology, and even chance in everyday life.

The show began with Ayliean MacDonald, who shared her passion for Maths in Art, demonstrating how creativity and mathematics combine to create something beautiful. Next, Matthew Scroggs explored the fascinating role of maths in video games, taking students on a nostalgic journey back to Pacman before explaining how game maps work and what happens when 3D images are represented on 2D platforms.

Finally, Ben Sparks introduced the concept of the “sacred geometry of chance”, surprising students by predicting that two people in the first six rows would share the same birthday—and then proving it with statistics! His talk highlighted the hidden laws of probability and showed how emotion, art, and mathematics can go hand in hand, breaking stereotypes about the subject.

The trip was a fantastic opportunity to hear from mathematicians who use maths in their careers and see where it can lead.