Have you ever looked up at the stars and found yourself feeling infinitely small in comparison to the great expanse that is the cosmos? Or lamented about a lobby for more night lights along walkways when you know it will stop people being able to gaze at the stars?

Or perhaps you notice too many people being attracted to the glare of the mobile phone or personal computer screen?

If so there are a number of opportunities coming up as part of the Creativity Unboxed initiative to connect people across the North of Ireland, Scotland, Wales and England that you may be interested in?

It’s perhaps telling that Tracy Meharg, Permanent Secretary at the Department of Communties, rather than the Minister, is quoted in the departmental press release.

“Science, technology and the arts, which unite across the Unboxed programme, all depend upon creativity and the ability to see the world in new and different ways. This is a fantastic opportunity for our communities to come together, learn from each other and inspire each other for the future.”

There are many opportunities to participate, including home creative challenges and a schools materials project mapped across the curriculum.

One of the projects is Our Place in Space happening on Divis mountain and supported by Belfast City Council. The 10km sculpture trail will temporarily be on Divis from 11 June to 10 July after first appearing in Derry.

Sculpture can be many things and we will see if the pieces, designed to be different parts of our solar system, will not actually look like computer generated point of sale obstructions. However, it’s bound to attract those who love apps to download to follow a trail.

I do worry about these augmented reality apps after the gimmicky nature of the wow factor wears off. Can nobody enjoy the simplicity of going for a walk in nature anymore without constant distraction?

But it does mean that you can also do the tour remotely. Divis does have a lot of footfall already but this will bring more people into the area for self- guided and guided tours.

North Belfast's own Oliver Jeffers and Professor Steven Smartt of Queen’s University have combined to bring us this unique peek into our universe.

Professor Smartt is an astrophysicist specialising in surveying the sky for transient and explosive events. He has joined forces to develop the project with the Nerve Centre. The challenge of managing such a project in four different locations is gargantuan, which is perhaps why there is currently so little information on their website.

Once visitors get the first location under their belt, I’m sure it will keep rolling along. There will be opportunities to volunteer and participate in different ways from stargazing workshops with the Irish Astronomical Association to astronaut costume making workshops and Jazz at Jupiter, whatever that might be. Composer Die Hexen is also involved but no word about what her participation will be as of yet.

We can all agree that  what we are sharing together is this amazing planet called earth and the more we appreciate it and look after it, the better. We hope it will be here for generations to come.

The projects are good opportunities to get out and about if you can, as well as experiencing something on your doorstep. There are some disability access issues I think but if you contact the organisers with your needs, they are obliged to help.

UNBOXED: Creativity in the UK is funded and supported by the four governments of the UK and is commissioned and delivered in partnership with Belfast City Council, Creative Wales and EventScotland. 

The Craft NI Royal Avenue exhibition Curved with Intent exhibition continues until 27 March and an extraordinary film of all of the artists selected for this exhibition showing them at work in their workshops is now available.

Remember the next Late Night art evening when all the galleries are open late will be the Thursday 7 April.