November 8, 2017 3.56 pm This story is over 89 months old

Lincoln Star Wars festival launches city into the future

A number of top YouTubers from the gaming industry traveled from a galaxy far, far away to attend the event.

Photo: Guy Owen for The Lincolnite

Local school children and residents had a chance to become jedi knights at the University of Lincoln’s Future 2.0 event.

Based on the popular sci-fi film franchise Star Wars, people were given the chance to meet Stormtroopers and make their own lightsabers at the Engine Shed today (November 8) to explore past, present and future technologies.

Take a look at our gallery from the event:

A number of well-known YouTubers were also answering school children’s questions about gaming and the video industry.

Visitors had a chance to race Stormtroopers through the galaxy on virtual reality bikes as well as learning about space and the solar system.

YouTuber Will Bangura, who was speaking at the event, told The Lincolnite: “I was invited down to talk to everyone here to help people on how to make YouTube into a job, and just encourage people to create and get themselves out there.

YouTuber WillyB spoke to The Lincolnite ahead of his Q&A Photo: Guy Owen for The Lincolnite

“I think it’s been wicked, there’s Stormtroopers around everywhere. I’ve been flooded by people asking for autographs and pictures and I’ve never had this before.”

Other YouTuber Emilia Wilson, who goes by the name of Sir Cutie Yuki, said: “I think the event is a lot of fun and there’s a lot of excitement in the room with a lot of happy kids who are enjoying themselves, and this is what I want to see from an event.”

Sir Cutie Yuki, a YouTuber with over 100k subscribers was at the event. Photo: Guy Owen for The Lincolnite

One of the academics at the event Martyn Thayne, Senior Lecturer in the School of Film and Media, told The Lincolnite: “The event is bringing together lots of different ways of thinking about future technologies, different ways you can explore them, and lots of fun ways you can explore them.”