Come and Join the GIG Makerspace 2015

Have you ever thought about making an Android app, but don’t know how to code? Which useful things can we make out of all the machines we throw away? How can 3D printing improve the lives of children in Kenya? And what does a phone battery charger have to do with motorbike taxis in Uganda? Have you ever asked yourself what the insides of your devices look like, but haven’t yet dared to take a look? Yes? No? Maybe? The good news: The GIG Maker Space has the answers.

First of all: What is a maker space? Basically, it’s a workshop and a new type of classroom. But it also provides opportunities for people to connect by building and creating things together. And it is a place where you can open, explore, modify and rebuild some of the technologies that influence our lives. Maker spaces come in various shapes and sizes and go by different names: hackerspaces, for example, or FabLabs. And even though these different types of spaces are based on different concepts, they all share the same principles of openness and community, enabling members to share ideas, find support and learn from each other.

The GIG Maker Space does all of the above, by bringing together innovators from around the globe who share their inventions for a better world. We will explore these innovations in a comprehensive series of workshops, learn and teach some of the skills necessary to rebuild them, find out how they make a difference, and invent some of our own!

The program we have in place is vast and varied. You will learn about easily scalable ICT solutions for everyone, for example by making an Android app without writing a single line of code. You can also learn about the concept of appropriate technology – technological solutions made with tools that are available everywhere and anywhere, and easily adapted to the current situation. We will build one or two of these, like a (do-it-together) phone charger and a simple digital agricultural tool. We will also have the chance to learn more about high-tech solutions, new technologies like Arduinos (and the social impact they create), or new skills like building a 3D printer from e-waste.

We invite you to join us, get your hands dirty, meet new people, learn, teach and play: there will be plenty of opportunities to share your ideas and skills, and we encourage you to do so.

photo credit: re:publica/Gregor Fischer (CC BY-SA 2.0)