Brighton Mini Maker Faire

So here we are, just a few hours away from the deadline to get your Maker applications in. Thank you to everyone who has already submitted on the Maker page, it’s a great list so far – full of fun, inspiring and surprising projects and proposals from across the UK, and with a spectacular range of subjects, objects, and aspirations.

We know a lot of you have been giving it some considerable thought before getting a submission in, but the time has come to take the plunge.  Just attach your application writing goggles and form filling gauntlets and tell us about whatever fabulous experiments, creations, workshops, lectures (yes I think we could handle a lecture or two), exhibitions, demos and stalls you have in mind.

By way of some last minute inspiration here’s the estimable Mitch Altman introducing the Global Hackerspace Challenge, which took one of us organisy people all the way to the San Mateo Maker Faire earlier this year.

How cool is that?

If you’ve any questions about the application process please put them in comments below, or email us bmmf@buildbrighton.com.   And on the assumption that question one is “is the application process really closed now?  OMG I Need more time!”, the answer is yes, the formal application process has to close so that we can sort out the limited space we have. So get something in by midnight tonight, and we can always get back to you if we need more details.  But if you appear with something amazing in a week or so we’ll try and fit you in.  The bar for amazing is already pretty high by the way.

With less than a week left for makers to get their submissions in to be a part of Brighton’s first Maker Faire, the team behind organising the event talk about why they’re putting it on and what sort of makers and projects they hope to see there.

For the past few months I’ve been part of the team behind putting together the first Brighton Maker Faire. We have our venue booked and are now talking to makers who want to come and share their projects at the event on 3rd September. I thought I’d share a few of my best Maker Faire moments to inspire those who may not have been to one before and are wondering what it’s really all about.

In 2009 and 2010 I travelled up to Newcastle to demonstrate technical creations from the BBC labs. The Faire up there is a fantastic event, for makers and visitors, but with all the groundswell of creative talent in Brighton we just had to put together a show down here. We’ll have all the amazing community and camaraderie of the MakerFaire UK, but with a bit more sunshine, a beach, and that certain Brighton twist!

One of my favourite Maker Faire moments was in 2009, being involved with building and demoing the BBC WeatherCockBot (coding until 2am, building on the day, running for an hour, then breaking!). Other highlights from that year were the Chiptune marching band (all participants made instruments on the day!), Paka the fire breathing robot horse dragon and Mitch Altman’s Alpha machine workshops. 2010 was a far bigger event with many many more visitors, and a pretty constant buzz.  There were loads more makers too, a huge community atmosphere and a great crowd. The Hexapod robots, Power tool drag races and musical Tesla coil went down particularly well.

Photo by JeffreyUK on Flickr

Maker Faires are amazing events – part celebration, part convention, all creative. They’re a chance for all the back room tinkerers, hobbyist engineers, hackers and crafty types to come together and wow each other and the public with the best of their wares. As a maker you can always learn new tricks and skills from others, and at the Maker Faire it’s a chance to see the latest kits and tools for that special project you’ve been working on. And with all that enthusiasm around, you can just feel the inspiration hitting the visitors. Who wouldn’t want to build their own single wheel skateboard, fire breathing robot horse or drag racing power sander, or at least try.

One of the best things about a Maker Faire is the chance to try new tools and kits. Pretty much everything at a Maker Faire is Open Source – the ethos of makers being very much that if it’s yours you have the right to break it to see how it works, and build it up again. All the same, some things are worth buying in, such as robot kits from Oomlaut, Arduino hacking kits, hexapod robots or Nixie Tube clock kits.

Photo from Conchur on Flickr

As a maker team we gave away instructions for how to make your own multitouch computer interface, and we weren’t the only ones with instructions to take away. Even if it’s just a mad idea for your next engineering masterpiece, you’re sure to come away with something great.

Makers who are interested in demonstrating at Brighton Mini Maker Faire should head over to the Makers page to submit their application before 30th June.

Photo from erinblatzer on Flickr

We’re very pleased to announce that the Brighton Mini Maker Faire is go, just in time for our very own Toby Cole to be appearing on-stage at the mega Bay Area Maker Faire, hopefully he’ll get chance to give us a mention!

We’re currently finalising some details with our venue – The Brighton Dome Foyer Bar – but all is go for the 3rd September.

We’re also very proud to be considered a core part of the new Brighton Digital Festival, alongside such well known events as dConstruct and Flash on the Beach.

Good times!