Woodworking at Maker Community

Resilience Local production Community Current

I volunteer at Maker Community, Brunswick's local, non-profit makerspace. I've spent a couple of years as committee president, and I now steward the workbench area and teach hand-tool woodworking.

Live
A photo of Jade's hand tool setup at Maker Community in 2022, now much expanded.

Maker Community Link to this heading

About the space Link to this heading

Maker Community is a non-profit makerspace in Brunswick, dedicated to learning, skill sharing and community building. It’s an inclusive space, open to everyone who wants to make and build, and supports a range of different crafts including woodwork, metalwork, textiles, electronics, 3D printing, laser cutting, CNC and more.

My involvement Link to this heading

Maker Community is an existing project, run for multiple years by a crew of generous and hard-working volunteers. I joined the group as a volunteer in 2021.

Theory of Change Link to this heading

1. Community building Link to this heading

All local commuity organisations can contribute to building a better world by encouraging people to build networks of local connections, resolve conflicts, and manage resources together.

2. Recycling & re-use Link to this heading

Maker community actively envourages recycling and re-use, by providing skills, encouragement and tools for members to repair items and re-use materials. In woodworking in particular, we have seen much more recycled timber used than new, due to machines supplied by Sustainability Victoria.

3. De-commoditification Link to this heading

When people make their own possessions, they are embued with a personal story that makes it less likely that they will be treated as exchangable commodities.

4. Further radical roots Link to this heading

There is a long history of connection between craft (such as woodworking) and utopian anti-capitalist movements. My practice of woodwork is directly linked to the philosphies of Ruskin, Morris, Stickley and other leaders of the Arts & Crafts movement.

5. Resilience Link to this heading

In a future needing real local resilience, a well equipped makerspace, and a community of people with practical skills, could be materially useful to saving lives and providing necessary supports.

I have a nascant project to link these elements further together over at: Subversive Woodworking