We will be highlighting some of the work and activities of our CDT students in the coming months on this blog feed. In the first of our blog posts, Kimberley Paradis shares her experiences of getting involved in the Hack Your Age project, working with our CDT partners at Civic Digits.
From February 11–13, 2025, Hack Your Age 2 brought together young people and older adults for an intergenerational workshop that blended drama, hands-on making, and co-design. Building on the ideas and prototypes developed in Hack Your Age 1 (October 2024), the workshop invited participants to think critically about technology and its impact.
Hosted in partnership with the Citadel Youth Centre in Leith, Civic Digits, and the Institute of Design Informatics at the University of Edinburgh, this second workshop encouraged participants to push their visions of the future further by questioning, refining, and expanding their ideas about technology’s role in everyday life. Throughout the week, participants built speculative props and prototypes, using theatre as a tool to express their perspectives on digital futures.
The week culminated on Saturday, 15 February, with a showcase of four original theatre scenes. These performances reflected both hopeful and cautionary takes on technological futures and sparked discussion among the 34 audience members, who shared their thoughts on digital inclusion and intergenerational experiences with technology.
Designing for the Future
After the performance, participants reconvened for a co-design session. They discussed how similar workshops could be created for other communities across Scotland, thinking about what resources would be needed and how the program could reach different groups. Building on their experiences throughout the week, they shared ideas and insights to help shape the next steps for Hack Your Age.
Looking Ahead
Technology is deeply embedded in our everyday lives, but it is not always designed with all people in mind. Hack Your Age encouraged participants to ask critical questions: Who is technology really for? What data does it collect about us? How does it shape our future happiness and health? By combining arts, performance, and discussion, the project provided a space for creative re-imagination – where community voices lead the conversation about digital futures. By fostering collaboration and dialogue, we can co-create new possibilities for more inclusive, community-driven technological futures.
About the Partners
Citadel Youth Centre is a community space in Leith that provides young people with opportunities for personal growth, learning, and social engagement. Through a variety of programs and activities, Citadel supports youth in building confidence, developing skills, and forming meaningful connections within their community. The centre also runs the New Spin Intergenerational Café, in partnership with Pilmeny Development Project.
Civic Digits is an organization that combines digital technology with live performance to explore critical issues in the digital age. Through interactive theatre and participatory storytelling, Civic Digits challenges audiences to think critically about data, privacy, and the ethical implications of emerging technologies. Civic Digits is also an official partner of the UKRI AI Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) in Responsible and Trustworthy in-the-world NLP. If you would like to get in touch, please reach out to contact@civicdigits.com.