Within the framework of European Maker Week, UGR-MediaLab, the Faculty of Fine Arts and the Albayzín Centre will come together on the 25 May 2018 for Maker Day Granada, raising awareness about the importance and potential of this pan-European initiative for the city of Granada. The event will explore the potential scope and impact of the Maker Movement and will encompass an exciting showcase of innovative ideas, projects and presentations.
What is the Maker Movement?
According to the website Ecointeligencia, the desire to make things with our own hands is ingrained in human nature. However, over the last century, with the advent of mass production, we have come to view the time we spend in workshops, garages and kitchens as merely a means of pursuing hobbies, overlooking the potential socio-economic impact of these activities.
The Maker Movement is the name given to the growing community of people who are employing do-it-yourself (DIY) techniques and processes to develop unique technologies and products in the digital sphere, searching for innovative solutions to the everyday challenges of our times. The movement stresses that while we live in a world of mass-produced products, modern technology and the Internet provide us with the resources to create and sell self-made products that are both unique and customisable, while avoiding the need for intermediaries such as large manufacturers or retailers. The term ‘Maker Movement’ was coined by Dale Dougherty, an editor at O’Reilly Media who launched the journal Made in 2005 in a bid to promote DIY approaches in the digital sphere.
European Maker Week is promoted by the European Commission and implemented by Maker Faire Rome, in collaboration with Startup Europe, with the overall aim of encouraging the participation of citizens across Europe in the “maker world”, FabLabs, hackerspaces, makerspaces, and the hardware startup environment. It also strives to raise awareness about the importance of “maker culture” in fostering education based on creativity and innovation in schools across Europe. A further goal of the initiative is to forge ties between local authorities, media outlets, and all stakeholders in local “maker” ecosystems.
This emerging movement harnesses the potential of three interrelated phenomena that are transforming the concepts of production, repairing and recycling:
- The advent of new digital tools for designing and developing products
- Collaboration in the digital sphere
- The rise in the number of factories and workshops that are available to rent
Maker Day Granada programme
09.30-10.00 Opening ceremony and presentation of Maker Week Granada
10.00-10.30 Introduction to Maker Philosophy
10.30-11.30 Programmes, funding opportunities and grants for entrepreneurs and businesses
11.30-12.00 Coffee break
12.00-14.00 Presentations of innovative “maker” projects
Presentations of prototypes from the 1st Meeting of Artisans, Designers and Artists (I Encuentro entre artesanos, diseñadores y artistas)
14.00 Closing ceremony
For further information please visit the UGR MediaLab website:
http://medialab.ugr.es/noticias/presenta-tu-proyecto-en-el-maker-day-granada-2018/
