Does anyone here have any experience running or even just attending a community space that's a kind of drop-in art studio/creative workspace? Like somewhere that has a bunch of different art and craft supplies and tools, you can take your own project, you can speak with people there, learn new skills, try the stuff they've got, etc.
I'm interested in knowing what activities went on there, how you ran it or what you got from it as a participant, etc.
I've been thinking a lot about what a friend pointed out - that mixed gendered spaces often quickly become male-exclusive because men tend to have much higher tolerance for arsehole behaviour than women, so it only takes one dodgy person to destroy a community as all the women basically leave. Once such a community has heavy male bias it can hardly recover, and its lack of representation means it can hardly succeed in any social, cultural or technical aims. Rings true for the extraordinarily bad gender balance in free/open source software in the context of the Stallman report.
@welshpixie the folks at Dallas Makerspace are probably worth reaching out to.
Nottingham Hackspace has a craft section! I never went to the space all that much so can't say much about how it was used, but they have (or had) sewing machines and screen printing, and shelves full of bits and bobs.
@welshpixie I was a founding member of one of Chicago's hackerspaces. Also briefly on the board.
Depending on what point in the space's history we're talking about, activities ranged from electronics and fiber crafts to 3D printing, woodworking, and hot metals. There was eventually a kitchen area, so of course that meant cooking and beer brewing (Beer Church, every Sunday). There were lots of events run out of there, by and for the members (primarily).
CC @toba
@welshpixie @toba we didn't lease a space until we had enough paying members to afford one, so it was less "build it and they will come" and more active community building.
I don't remember getting people to use the space being a problem, though cashflow certainly was at times. There was a price hike, at one point, and I'd be surprised if they haven't raised prices again since then.
Part of the answer was having people organize events regularly, and not being dicks to new folks.
@welshpixie it's a lovely thread! Am in a slow conversation with a friend about setting this model up. She's done a lot of ad-hoc crochet meets in others' venues. Her hook for this is a "clothes swap cafe", bring people through the door, provide a small flow of income (tea is a quid, swaps are free, sell a few customised pieces as art)
I'd like a venue other groups can make their own, offer storage space for kit, provide basic infrastructure (machines for sewing, dye sub printing, tools for lino, etc). Reckon a subscription model for this, a bit like hackerspaces - a cheap monthly rate but for groups, rather than individuals
Hackerspaces ... are lovely for the people in them, many have craft areas, but their communities aren't motivated to be welcoming ( with some solid exceptions like @DoESLiverpool )
https://craftypirates.org.uk/ministry_of_imagination/ - there's almost nothing here, we'll move hosting soon, set up a wiki, it's a slow-burn, big-picture plan :)
@welshpixie @zool Can you use some of the existing space for occasional events? Before we started @DoESLiverpool we just ran a monthly #MakerNight event at the uni, which let us gauge interest and, more importantly, started building the community of folk who then became the volunteers who set up the business, took a lease, etc.
The artificial (not really artificial, as volunteer time is scarce) scarcity of one-evening-a-month (or similar) draws people together to gain the initial critical mass
@welshpixie @zool @DoESLiverpool w.r.t. rural Wales, I don't know how far south the Ffiws makerspaces got - https://www.ffiws.cymru/en/
@concretedog would be useful to chat to on that front; he's helped out with the ones near him in N Wales.
They were/are(? I've not kept track of things) a funded model, which I don't think is a useful approach. Lots of (well meaning) folk will tell you to apply for funding, and they'll be wrong in the same way that applying for VC is the way to do tech 😉
@welshpixie not sure if you are still needing info but I am a member of the Maker Space at MadJax (https://madjax.org) We do a weekly maker hang, there are regular classes on how to use the gear, and it is a place for local events.
I have access to 3d printers, a glowforge, a wazer, cricut, large format printer, vinyl cutters, a wood shop, a welding shop, and there is even metal machining tools that no one knows how to use... yet.
At Madjax, we are creatives, artists, and entrepreneurs who are finding bold, innovative, and creative ways to make Muncie and Delaware County a better place to play, work, and live. We're building a Maker and Entrepreneur community here, and the best part? You're invited to join us.
@welshpixie I found it helpful, but the afternoon went so fast! Because it's in a store, if you need something, you can just buy it, but thankfully, no pressure to do so.
There are also library makerspaces in Melbourne, which are well equipped with sewing + embroidery machines + overlockers + fancy iron + all the accessories eg scissors/pins/thread etc. You need an introduction re: OH & S, then you wear a lanyard every time you're there. Usually open around 10-6 mon-sun with at least 2 staff.
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