Invitation to the event: Creative nomads - opportunities and challenges

The event will focus on maker mobility and discuss the important role played by makers in the creative ecosystem, the ways in which they contribute to communities, and the importance of supporting them and how best this can be done. 

Speakers include two special guests from the European Makerspace network, Vulca:
- Alexandre Rousselet, one of Vulca’s co-founders, will describe how the community has evolved since 2017 into an international, interdisciplinary network connecting +350 FabLabs/Makerspaces and Hackerspaces across Europe
- Aleksandra Šljukić, who runs the Vulca residency programme, will talk about the diverse range of residency programmes for makers in Europe

There will also be a presentation about the Rog Centre by Meta Štular, its Director of strategic development and programs: due to open in the summer of 2023, the Rog Centre will be a public creative hub based in the 8500 m2 former Rog factory, providing a supportive environment in which creators and makers can develop their projects.

The presentation and discussion will also be joined by creators Dewi Brunet and Anne-Camille Gilbert, who come from Fablab OpenFab in Brussels. They will share first-hand what their motivations are for participating in mobile residency programmes.

The event is open to all organisations, makerspaces, fab labs and anyone with an interest in maker networking and mobility in Europe.

You can register for the event here: REGISTRATION FORM. 

Programme:

14.00 ⎪ Welcome and introduction by either Isabelle Desvignes, Director of the French                 Institute in Ljubljana, and Renata Zamida, Acting Director of the Rog Centre 
14:10 ⎪The story of Vulca – a community and a network – Alexandre Rousselet
14:20 ⎪Pilot residency programmes for makers – Aleksandra Šljukić
14:30 ⎪Rog Centre, a creative hub – Meta Štular
14:40 ⎪Makers motivations to join mobility programmes - Dewi Brunet and Anne-Camille Gilbert
14:50 ⎪Moderated discussion with guests, followed by Q&A
16:00 ⎪End of the event

The event, which will be held in English, has been jointly organised with Vulca, a European makerspace network, and is being held as part of Digital November, an international digital cultures festival organised by the French Institute in Paris and the French cultural network abroad.

Project partner: Réseau Français des FabLabs

About the guests:

Alexandre Rousselet:
The idea for the Vulca programme came to Alex while he was on an Erasmus exchange in Ireland. Shortly after it was founded, in 2017, he started travelling around Europe in his iconic yellow van, visiting fab labs and maker communities. With his personal approach he has become a key figure linking European maker networks, makers and fab labs. In addition to co-founding Vulca, Alex was also the social networking community manager responsible for setting the strategy for Fab14, the biggest global fab lab event of 2018. As Secretary of the Réseau Français des Fablabs, he was in charge of international coordination for OctoberMake, the first national seminar held by the French fab lab network.

Aleksandra Šljukić:
Aleksandra became interested in the work of creators and makers when she attended a FABelgrade conference promoting digital fabrication, fab labs and their scientific application. In 2018 she joined Vulca, where she is responsible for organising seminars and promoting the network’s international projects. She is studying for a PhD in Biomedicine, and is also passionate about popular science and the DIY movement.

About the Vulca European makerspace network:
Vulca is a non-governmental organisation set up in 2017 with the aim of creating an open access mobility programme for members (creators) of makerspaces of all kinds: fab labs, maker/hackerspaces, biolabs, creative hubs, etc. In order to facilitate more active communication between its members, Vulca has developed three different activity strands:
(1) Vulca tours: in which Vulca maps and then visits fab labs in order to better understand local communities and how they work
(2) Vulca seminars: a meeting-place for maker communities, and a space for shared discussion. These are annual events focusing on topical issues, and are hosted by a different country each year 
(3) Residency project: launched in 2019, this serves as a bridge between communities, connecting cross-sectional, intercultural and international projects designed to encourage maker mobility and collaborative knowledge exchange.

Over the years Vulca has developed into an expert network connecting fab labs and makerspaces with individuals seeking residency opportunities. More recently it has joined forces with local NGOs and cultural centres to develop interdisciplinary, intercultural and community-oriented projects. In order to facilitate maker mobility, Vulca has turned the Maker Tour platform into an online space where makers can search for current residencies.

Dewi Brunet:
is an artist and a master of paper folding. He explores folding techniques using a variety of materials and technologies, and also applies them in his art, design and science. He has been co-manager of the OpenFab fablab in Brussels since 2016, and is also a member of Le CRIMP, an international research centre for paper folding, the only organisation of its kind anywhere in the world.

Anne-Camille Gilbert:
is a programming instructor and enthusiastic animatronics maker. She is committed to reducing the digital literacy gap between the generations and is also a co-founder of the OpenFab fab lab in Brussels.