What the point of a maker space?
The Big Building has a wonderful space with machines, tools and supplies. It’s called maakplek, Dutch for maker space. Why is it there and what is the point?
People like to create, like to make. Wether it’s cooking or building a shed, we like to see results of our labour. Now, many people have a job where the result of their work is either virtual or not a clear result at all. Hence many people have a hobby where the results are tangible. And for a hobby, you need space, tools and inspiration.
You start tinkering in the spare bedroom, buy some tools and have some fun. And then you get stuck. Stuck because you’re missing the knowledge, tools or space to continue. We wanted have a physical place where these people meet and make. Enter a maker space.
At maakplek, the maker space in Groningen, participants can make things, meet other makers and learn from each other.
What can you do in a maker space?
What are some results of the maker space?
- Makers find work through their hobby at maakplek
Just be being at maakplek, having fun with your hobby makers have found paid work for what they love to do. - Some makers are slowly turning their hobby into a business
- Makers buy machines together they wouldn’t be able to afford on their own
A thousands of €s laser cutter is reeeeeaaaallly nice to have. Or even better, to have access to. Now our makers can in the maakplek, because of pooled efforts. - Fast ‘tabletop r&d’
With the tools, machines and more importantly the huge range of knowledge in the network, building a prototype of a physical product becomes so much faster. - Makers grow as a person.
It’s been amazing to see initially kinda shy makers open up at maakplek. Meeting other makers and finding out there’s other people ‘like you’ in the real world, right here in Groningen made some makers a lot more social.
