Huddersfield joins the British Council’s Maker Library Network
Mon, 09 Nov 2015 00:01:00 GMT
“...it encourages students to collaborate and introduces them to technologies they wouldn’t usually learn about within their own curriculums...”
BUILDING on the premise of encouraging collaboration, knowledge-sharing and local development, the University of Huddersfield has become a part of The Maker Library Network (MLN), a global British Council project to connect designers and makers from around the world.
This network of libraries contains three key elements; a library, a makespace and a gallery and the three are run by artists, designers and ‘tinkerers’. The Maker Libraries can connect to one another via an online platform, where they have the opportunity to become an active member of the MLN community and contribute, connect and learn with like-minded people across the world.
The idea for a Maker Library in Huddersfield materialised when Dr David Swann (pictured left), a Reader in Design for the School of Art, Design and Architecture, met with independent curator and MLN founder Professor Daniel Charny, after they both attended the awards ceremony of the 2014 World Design Impact Prize, where Dr Swann collected an award for his ABC Syringe.
Dr Swann was so impressed with the benefits and potential of the Maker Library Network, that together with Stephen Calcutt (pictured right teaching students in the MLN), the Technical Manager Co-ordinator for the School of Art, Design and Architecture, a Maker Library was established in the University’s Queen Street Studios.
Stephen Calcutt, who developed an interest in fostering creative, social thinking, learning through collaboration and making, whilst studying for his Masters Degree in Media Arts, knows the importance of students having access to interdisciplinary learning.
“The Maker Library encourages students to collaborate with one another,” he says, “and we are introducing them to technologies they wouldn’t usually learn about within their own curriculums.
“For example, I ran an introductory electronics workshop and we had a really high attendance by female students. This was great, as it’s a field which is perhaps under-represented by women at this level. This was excellent and really good to see,” he added. (Pictured left).
Running the Maker Library programme will be academic staff from across all the departments in the School of Art, Design and Architecture, together with Stephen Calcutt and selected artists and makers from outside the University. This will bring together the skills and knowledge from their different areas of expertise to develop a dynamic programme of activities and workshops.
The Maker Library Network was initially developed as part of the British Council’s Connect ZA season to connect designers and makers in the UK and South Africa. The Network is rapidly expanding globally with Maker Libraries popping up in studios, in the corner of cafés and with one even travelling the world in a purpose-built caravan.
