Micro:bit marks 10 years with digital wave at Hereford

The Micro:bit Educational Foundation marked the 10th anniversary of the BBC micro:bit with a live digital wave at Hereford FC, bringing together 200 participants of all ages.

Primary school pupils, educators, local residents and students from the Royal National College for the Blind took part in the artwork, titled micro:wave, from the stands at Hereford Football Club. Each participant used a pocket-sized micro:bit computer programmed to communicate wirelessly by radio, triggering a synchronised sequence across the stand.

The installation used sound, light and vibration cues so blind and partially sighted participants could take part alongside sighted users. The movement patterns were developed with local young people during workshops led by artist and Micro:bit Educational Foundation Programme Manager Dr Emma Posey.

The project formed part of we:create, an initiative focused on creativity and participatory art. Hereford FC hosted the work in collaboration with Dr Sam Tygier and Lizzie Salmon of the Science and Technology Facilities Council, with support from Hereford College of Arts, the Royal National College for the Blind, the Sidney Nolan Trust, pupils from Lord Scudamore Academy and local community groups.

The anniversary marks a milestone for the foundation, which says the device has reached 73.5 million young people in more than 85 countries since its UK launch in 2016. At the time, up to one million free devices were distributed to Year 7 pupils.

The foundation aims to reach 100 million young people worldwide by 2028. It says the micro:bit helps children move from using digital products to understanding and creating with them through coding and physical computing.

Dr Emma Posey said the Hereford event showed that approach in practice.

"Marking 10 years of the micro:bit by bringing generations together has been truly special. Seeing primary pupils and older community members standing side by side in the stand, using code to spark this live digital Mexican wave, shows just how accessible and creative technology can be. It is a brilliant demonstration of what happens when you empower an entire community to create art together," said Dr Emma Posey, Programme Manager, Micro:bit Educational Foundation.

The foundation's chief executive officer said the event reflected its wider educational mission over the past decade.

"Marking 10 years of the micro:bit with this incredible digital wave is a proud milestone for all of us. Over the past decade, our goal has been to inspire children to move from simply consuming technology to understanding, questioning and creating with it.

"Today's celebration at Hereford FC captured the true spirit of physical computing. By bringing generations together to build something fun and tangible, we're showing that technology can bring communities together, and that the micro:bit continues to equip young people with the foundational skills, creativity and confidence they need to thrive as technology evolves," said Gareth Stockdale, Chief Executive Officer, Micro:bit Educational Foundation.

The Hereford project also highlighted efforts to make computing activities more accessible in public settings, using tactile and audio prompts rather than relying only on screens. Grant support came from Herefordshire Community Foundation.

Following the anniversary event, the team is developing an open-source community toolkit based on the micro:bit's radio functions for use in similar participatory art projects by schools and community groups.