Tell us what you think!

Attention local residents, makers, artists, businesses interested in using the Remakery! Tell us what you need from us...

This online survey will be open until 21st April 2013.

From the answers we receive we will:

  • finalise our membership prices
  • finalise course costs
  • decide what courses we will offer
  • decide how the space will be divided down (what space will be allocated to carpentry, metalwork, sewing etc)
  • decide what tools we will equip the site with

We need to hear from all potential users of the space. Entering the survey doesn't commit you to anything.

Tell us what you need!

All those who complete it will:

  • be entered into a prize draw to win a month’s free membership of the Remakery
  • be invited to our "give and make' day in May. A big scraphead type challenge and a way to dispose of extra materials we've gathered during the build.

Click here for the survey: http://tolu.na/X3Zi10

Join our team!

We are looking for a number of people to join our growing team:

  • A budding architect or designer to design and make our onsite signage;
  • A graphic designer to support us with regular design work and help finalise our 'look';
  • A volunteer organiser to help look after our growing band of volunteers (see job spec below);
  • Skilled volunteers to join our plumbing and electric working parties.  

If any of these sound interesting please get in touch with Kathe Jacob either by email or on 0779 668 5241.

Thurs 21st March: Free film screening at the Remakery!

Free screening of French comedy Micmacs
Thursday 21st March, 6.45pm

Instead of our usual site social, come along on Thursday 21st to watch French comedy Micmacs, directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet, of Amelie fame.

This event is part of the first ever Camberwell Free Film Festival which takes place from 14-24th March 2013.

This will be the second ever event hosted at the Remakery site, following the great Loughbourough Junction Action Group consultation day last month, and it's sure to be a great one! Come early to also get a tour of the Remakery site and hear about our plans.

We hope to be able to offer some free food to cinema goers, at least to those that arrive early enough, salvaged from food that would otherwise have been wasted.

Read the rest of this post »

Thanks to Keepmoat for keeping us stocked up!

We're looking forward to the shiny new kitchen that contractors Keepmoat are currently designing for us and will soon be installing at the Remakery! This will create training opportunities for volunteers and costs us nothing, as it's part of Keepmoat's drive for social responsibility and investing in the communities where they work. They are delivering lots of work on local estates over the next few years as one of the main contractors for the Lambeth Housing Standard programme of improvements to housing stock.

In the mean time, Keepmoat have kindly been keeping us stocked up with safety supplies for our workers and volunteers. Boxes of new gloves, goggles, and ear protection were delivered by their Community Investment Manager, Neal Allison, who's been a staunch supporter since first visiting the Remakery in November last year.

It's also a good moment to say thanks for the large sheets of perspex they donated back in the autumn - previously covers for outdoor artwork, these have done invaluable service over the winter at the Remakery, as a temporary screen covering the gates and grilles at the Lilford Road end, making a big difference to the temperature on site by blocking out draughts.

Thanks Keepmoat for all your support and for recognising and adding to the value that grassroots initiatives like the Remakery can bring to communities. Working in partnership is helping us make it happen.

Delivery280213

Andy Lockwood and Winford Dalrymple from the Remakery receive the delivery from Neal Allison of Keepmoat

Progress steaming ahead on site

The first few weeks of 2013 were chocked full of activity on the Remakery site: We have gone from a gloomy grey suite of garages to ones that are gleaming white; walls have started going up, and the bones of a kitchen, bathroom and office are starting to appear; doors are being attached in useful places and we’ve acquired equipment by the bucket load. But most of all we’ve all learned loads of new skills and have had a great time doing it.

There is still a lot to be done in order to sign off the build and and start fitting out. If you're interested in learning a building skill, or have one to pass on, you'll always find a warm welcome on site from Jake and Winford, our tireless site managers. Contact us if you’d like to find out more.

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Remakery special report: Catching a rising wave of makerspaces in California

I decided to take full advantage of the amazing offer of a grant to travel to San Francisco (see previous post, and thanks again to the Surdna Foundation) by booking an extra 10 days after the conference to travel around the Bay area visiting interesting and inspiring projects that the Remakery could learn from. (The grant covered the flights and first few days’ accommodation, I topped up the rest – and it wasn’t all work, I also relaxed in some beautiful hot springs overlooking the Pacific… but that’s another story!)

Co-working and makerspaces are mushrooming in the Bay area – a bit of advance research found more than enough destinations to fill the time, and when I was there I kept finding more – so this is by no means a comprehensive survey, but the best I could do while also learning my way around!

Read the rest of this post »

Remakery awarded prize at Architecture for Humanity conference

We’re delighted to announce that the Remakery – as presented by Alasdair Dixon of Architecture for Humanity (AfH) London – was awarded the Design Open Mic prize yesterday at AfH’s global conference, Design Like You Give A Damn.

Dlygad_alasdairpres_copy
Alasdair's presentation at DLYGAD

I’m lucky enough to have been invited to San Francisco to take part in the conference – thanks to a grant offered by the Surdna Foundation to help AfH’s clients and community partners to attend the event. Following the recent final hand-over of architects’ drawings from our AfH team in London, this trip is a fantastic culmination to AfH’s 18-month involvement in the Remakery project. Their team of volunteer architects have shown amazing commitment, patience and thoroughness throughout the process of designing the Remakery as a space that will work for all its members, getting us over the big hurdle of planning permission, and preparing for the construction work that is now underway.

A big thank you to our project architect, Isabel Hankart, colleagues Taus Larsen and Alasdair Dixon, and all the other AfH team members who have contributed so much throughout the course of the project (names listed on Alasdair’s last slide – his presentation can be downloaded here: http://openarchitecturenetwork.org/sites/default/files/active/42/The%20Brixton%20Remakery.pdf)

Thanks to the privilege of being here in person, I even got to give an acceptance speech – which came as a slight shock since the standard of the Open Mic was very high and we certainly hadn’t predicted a win. In fact when the prize was announced, I was out of earshot chatting to somebody about the Remakery, and only gradually realised that my name was being mentioned! Even when I got up there to give the speech I had to turn round and check that we had actually won… Scroll through to minute 52 of this video to see the prize announcement and my speech (which also gives a handy summary of the project history):

http://new.livestream.com/accounts/1905633/events/1671821/videos/6228802

(Oddly enough, immediately afterwards, the guy I’d been chatting to had his name drawn out as the Raffle winner, being awarded a trip around the California vineyards! Our prize of AutoCAD software was less fun, though pretty useful for AfH London. Many thanks to Autodesk, who provided the conference venue as well as the prize.)

AfH’s own report on the Design Open Mic is here, along with the other winning presentations - an inspiring bunch, all on the theme of “innovative, community-centered design that is both inspiring and buildable”:

http://architectureforhumanity.org/updates/2012-11-19-design-open-mic-inspire...-

Dlygad_program_copy

 

Remake Christmas Party 13 December- all invited!

On Thursday 13th December, instead of our usual site social we will be holding a Christmas party for all Remakery friends. This will be a chance to thank all of those that have worked so hard on site, update supporters with what is going on and and introduce new people to the project.

In true Remakery style there will be some remaking activities going on.

Come along from 2pm to (re) make decorations for the party and try out some re-use based Christmas gift and decoration ideas.

Here's a little bit of Remake Christmas inspiration:

(download)

From 7pm we will get out the decks, food and drink and celebrate a fantastic year of activity.

Some food and drink will be provided but please try to bring something to share. We look forward to catching up with all friends of the Remakery and those wishing to get involved in the future.

If you have something specific you'd like to offer for the party please contact Rebekah or Hannah.

Get constructive and socialise!

Regular site socials

This Thursday (4th October) and the following one (11th October) we are holding the first Remakery Site Socials from 6-9pm. We hope this will become a regular event, bringing together members of the Remakery community to help on the construction site and meet each other for pizza and a few drinks.

Who is this for?
Everyone is welcome to come along, no construction experience necessary, just RSVP to construction@remakery.org to let us know you are coming so we know how much pizza to order.

 Timetable

  • Between 6 - 8pm - Work will commence cleaning the site and getting on with key tasks for development. It will also be possible to find out about progress at the Remakery for those wishing to drop in and volunteer in the future.
  • Between 8 - 9pm - Socialising with pizza and drinks supplied!

What to wear?
Wear suitable clothing for helping out on a building site. Wear hard boots if you have them. Waterproof clothing (jackets and trousers or overalls) are useful for protection during the cleaning work.

Location
Come along at 6.00pm to the Remakery construction site - Garage Block 1, Paulet Road estate, London SE5 9HZ. Enter via the back gate at the end of Penford Street (cul de sac opposite Minet Library).
(download)

The Remakery is now recruiting directors

The Remakery is now in the process of officially becoming a BenCom Co-operative! Exciting times...

As such we need to recruit the Directors (up to 12 posts) who will lead the Remakery, through the incredibly important development, construction and set-up phase and into being as it opens its doors in Spring 2013. The Directors will hold their posts until our first AGM in Spring/Summer 2013 when there will be an open vote for the following year's Directors.

Due to the critical nature of the next few months, these are very important roles. And they will be more hands-on than Directors will be in the coming years, taking responsibility to ensure that everything happens that needs to happen so that the Remakery develops and opens as planned.


Role description

Click here to download:
Remakery_Directors_-_Role_Description.pdf (172 KB)
(download)

Please see the attached pdf for more information on what the roles will entail and the attritubutes we are looking for.

 

Invitation to apply

Representatives of the following stakeholder groups are invited to apply to become Directors:
 
·       Remakery Founders, other Remakers and active volunteers
·       Transition Town Brixton nominees
·       Local residents of Paulet Road and the surrounding neighbourhood
·       Residents of the wider area (Brixton, Camberwell and neighbouring areas)
·       Potential members of the Remakery Community Network and Business Network
·       Lambeth Council staff and/or councillors
·       Experts / skilled people with the skill sets identified in the document attached

 

Deadlines

If you are interested in applying to be a Director, please send a CV and covering letter detailing why you are applying, and why you would be good for the position, to Hannah Lewis, project co-ordinator: hannah@remakery.org. If you would like an informal chat about the position please ring on 07919 038778.


Deadline for applications:  6pm on Wednesday 12th September
Appointments will be made:  w/c 17th September. This may, or may not, involve a formal interview process.
First Director’s Meeting will be held: w/c 24th September