Images: http://bit.ly/1nMHKFS
Following an open call launched by Daniel Charny and Thomas Heatherwick at Cape Town’s Indaba Expo in March, the Maker Library Network is thrilled to announce that four new venues have joined the Network and will become hosts to Maker Libraries, including a new London-based Maker Library.
The Maker Library at the Machines Room at Limewharf was launched on Thursday 12 June by Daniel Charny with Thomas Ermacora. Machines Room opens to the public on Thursday 19 June 2014.
Founded by Thomas Ermacora, the Machines Room at Limewharf in East London is a prototyping lab for individual makers and start-ups. Part of the FabLab network, the makerspace features 3D printers, laser cutter, CNC machines and more. Machines Room is open to visitors but particularly encourages ‘makers in becoming’ to use the facilities to prototype their ambitions, with resident makers available to coach them.
Commissioned by the British Council as part of the Connect ZA season, the Maker Library Network is a new initiative that promotes collaboration and knowledge-sharing between designers and makers. Maker Libraries are creative spaces that combine reading, showing and making. This new type of library, whilst encouraging local development, is also part of a new international mentoring network. Maker Libraries are comprised of three elements: a library, a gallery and a makespace. They are all connected via an online platform where Makers can share resources; take part in mentoring sessions and exchange skills and ideas.
The three other new Maker Library venues are as follows:
- Maker Library: The Bank, Cape Town
The Bank is a contemporary design space promoting innovation, collaboration, mentorship, ideas exchange and business development. The bank endeavours to form and develop relationships between industry professionals, corporate entities and independent thinkers. South African designer Heath Nash is Maker Librarian in Residence at Bank and will run a programme of events and workshops focusing on the reuse of waste materials in craft and design.
- Maker Library: Museum of African Design (MOAD), Johannesburg
The Museum of African Design is the first museum on the African continent dedicated to design. A cultural hub, rather than a collecting institution, MOAD devotes itself to exploring the ever changing African continent and diaspora. MOAD’s vision for the future as a unique institution in South Africa is to create a space where cultural engineers from across the continent can share their ideas and work. Through exhibitions, outreach and partnerships with creative spaces across Africa and institutions around the world, MOAD is becoming a platform for creativity and innovation.
- Maker Library: WorkSpace, Cape Town
Workspace is a shared DIY workshop where members pay an hourly or monthly rate to make use of the workshop facilities which include automotive repair, woodworking, engineering, pottery, glass and 3d printing. Workspace follows the Business for Development model which means encouraging existing artisans and tradespeople to utilise their skills by providing them with the necessary tools and equipment and developing new emerging talent, enabling them to enter the economy with the training and skills they require.