Bristol Mini Maker Faire

We’ve had an amazing response to our Call for Makers, and we can safely say  that Bristol’s First Mini Maker Faire promises to be a really good one. Currently we’re working out how to allocate space effectively  - so if you are one of those who applied, you can expect us to be in contact fairly soon. In the run up to the Faire itself we’re hoping to showcase some of the makers who will be showing-and-telling, but meanwhile, here’s something we think might interest you…..

The MIT Media Lab is currently conducting an experiment. They recently started running an online course in Learning Creative Learning which they have opened up to anyone with a computer and internet access. All the seminars, course materials and hands-on activities are available week by week and they are making good use of various social platforms such as Google’s Hangouts and Communities so it really is a two-way experience.

Great so far, but whats really interesting  is the readings list in preparation for session 3 on February 25. Included are some articles by Dale Dougherty about the Maker movement. Dale is a co-founder of O’Reilly Media the publishers of Make magazine the people behind the Maker Faires. Three of his articles are included, The Maker Mindset, Learning by Making and the Heart of Maker Faire.

So if you want to find out what the Maker movement is all about because it’s completely new to you or you just want to see what Dale has to say, check out the Readings in Preparation for Session 3 (Feb 25) of the MIT Learning Creative Learning syllabus. And take a look at the rest of the course, there is a lot of information in there.

 This is a city with a renowned creative and scientific heritage; from Aardman Animation to Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s Suspension bridge.  Bristol is full of  creative individuals, from artists to engineers and everyone in between.

The 23rd March will be a day to celebrate creativity, connect those who who love to invent and create. It will inspire people who never knew how many interesting things they could make with their hands. Whether they work with wool or steel, electricity or sunlight, circuit boards or hacksaws, makers run stalls at Mini Maker Faires  to share what delights, puzzles, intrigues or keeps them going. A makers stall might show work in progress, completed projects, failed/abandoned projects, things that still puzzle their makers and the tools they use.

Some people offer activities to visitors, others give a chance for them to see and ask questions about what the maker does. The activities might be simply entertainment, others trying to explain something, and others still will give visitors something to take home with them to remind them of their visit. Examples might be a felted sculpture, a hot air balloon made from tissue paper, an optical illusion, a marshmallow gun, an iPod speaker made from polystyrene plates. Some people will sell kits and equipment for visitors to carry on with activities and experiments at home.

We invite you to come to the 2013 maker faire whether you see yourself as a maker or as someone who just curious about what’s going on. We hope you will watch this space and be inspired to come back again in 2014.

As well as being full of innovative scientists, artists, technologists, musicians, sculptors and generally creative people, Bristol is a centre for new thinking about the relationship between Crafts, Technology and the Internet of Things. Much of this activity goes on over at the Watershed, and you can keep in touch with what’s going on there by joining the Pervasive Media mailing list and going along to their talks and Events . Coming up: their Craft + Technology Showcase on 28th March at 2pm - book a free place here: http://bit.ly/10cu5up