Every year, hundreds of design students graduate with ambition, dreams and drive to find an industry rich in micro-enterprises, but poor in employment opportunities. Without business experience, access to facilities to make their prototypes and products, and limited hands-on skills, the expensive barriers turn many away.
After founding &company, (a platform of exhibitions, events and collaborations for graduate designers) it became clear that Sydney needed a workshop:
A place where people could access the skills, training and gear to turn ideas into reality. To learn, test, prototype and produce new work, and grow businesses.
After 4 years of development, fundraising and property hunting, we relaunched as MakerSpace &company, with the MakerSpace Foundation co-founded by Adam Simpson and Bruce Jeffreys. Located in the heart of Marrickville’s Industrial Precinct, our Inner West warehouse housed 1200sqm of specialist facilities including wood, metal, ceramic and digital fabrication machinery, studio spaces, shared offices and teaching spaces.
In the first three years, we enabled
- over 400 members to turn ideas into reality, and
- 45 creative businesses to launch, grow and thrive.
- Over 4000 students took our classes
- and our events were attended by over 2000 guests.
But most importantly, MakerSpace became a community. A place where people with ideas can come, as they are. Where they can be brave, try radical things, and achieve extraordinary things. It is a place where people share their skills, experience and friendship as they build empires and turn dreams into reality.
Images show the facilities, community and projects, including metal workshop, wood workshop, ceramic studio, student ceramic projects and welding.