Makerspace Yellowknife will soon have a headquarters for the crafting, building and repairing endeavours it promotes.
The non-profit landed around $730,000 in funding through the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency (CanNor) and the GNWT, NWT MP Michael McLeod announced last week.
Makerspace president Cat McGurk said the money will go towards programming, hiring and relocating from the group's current tool bus to a larger and more permanent space.
photo courtesy of Facebook
The new SA国际影视传媒渃ommunity hubSA国际影视传媒� will have a SA国际影视传媒渃lean shop and a dirty shop,SA国际影视传媒� McGurk said, in order to keep things like woodwork and 3D printing separate. The new building, like the tool bus, will host a public space for Yellowknifers working on personal or business projects to carry out their ambitions.
Since the leasing logistics are still being worked out, McGurk couldnSA国际影视传媒檛 yet give details about the new community hubSA国际影视传媒檚 whereabouts. Regardless of its location, McGurk is committed to SA国际影视传媒渂uilding community capacitySA国际影视传媒� and SA国际影视传媒済iving people the confidence to learn new skills.SA国际影视传媒�
To its members, Makerspace is a tool library, a project space, a workshop host and a centre for mentorship. The hub welcomes people of varying experience levels who could be looking to start a new business or just interested in picking up a hobby.
SA国际影视传媒淲e will put you through orientations and teach you how to use tools,SA国际影视传媒� McGurk said.
She said learning hands-on skills, in whatever form that may take, creates economic opportunity in the North, SA国际影视传媒渟o we donSA国际影视传媒檛 have to depend so heavily on southern imports and the like.SA国际影视传媒�
SA国际影视传媒淲eSA国际影视传媒檝e lost the admiration that we should for craft,SA国际影视传媒� she said. SA国际影视传媒淢akerspace plays a really huge role in developing and building that appreciation for craft and the opportunities that come from that.SA国际影视传媒�
On top of the government funding announced last week, Makerspace Yellowknife has also been nominated in the $100,000 youth programming category of the Arctic Inspiration Prize (AIP).
MakerspaceSA国际影视传媒檚 AIP nomination proposes evening, weekend, and daytime drop-in arts programming for youth, professional artists, and individuals experiencing homelessness. AIP winners will be announced in February but McGurk said the nomination SA国际影视传媒渨as a well-needed injection of inspiration.SA国际影视传媒�
The AIP project proposal is one that would run alongside MakerspaceSA国际影视传媒檚 normal activities, and McGurk said itSA国际影视传媒檚 important for the organization to provide SA国际影视传媒渁n opportunity to learn in a space free of judgment.SA国际影视传媒�
photo courtesy of Facebook
Anyone can become a Makerspace member free of charge, though the services provided and additional membership options may not be free. As members gain experience and skills, they are trusted with more freedom to work independently, with different tools and outside of public hours to use the resources for their own projects.
Along with the new hub, McGurk said the government funding will allow the organization to hire two full-time staff members.
Makerspace Yellowknife has been a volunteer board since its inception.
With the promise of the new hires in the near future, McGurk said she's SA国际影视传媒渓ooking forward to focusing back on workshopping instead of having to work on proposals.SA国际影视传媒�
