P2P Exchange

Our director Tom first met Augustin and Africa at Bautopia in Porto and found their enthusiasm and warmth infectious. When later Augustin invited Tom to the first ECHN Workshop in Anceu - it was an instant YES! During this workshop, Tom spoke about makerspaces and The Making Rooms - this resonated with Augustin and Africa - they had to visit and start their own makerspace. Augustin then signed up for the following ECHN Workshop at The Making Rooms and has since been a huge advocate internationally for Blackburn and The Making Rooms. It has been incredible to see what his new makerspace has become since this initial visit and we look forward to seeing the effect this latest visit has on their activities and impact.

Guided by our director Tom, we introduced Agustin to some of the groundbreaking projects that define our space; Repair Space Blackburn; Ecolab, Precious Plastics Blackburn and our RePlay project, where young people learn repair skills through ‘fixing’ our ‘broken’ games console. This project grew out of our LED badge project, and our staff member Nishad has helped Rural Hackers create their own version.

Local partners

Beyond The Making Rooms, we connected Anceu with Blackburn’s artistic and educational ecosystem; Prism Art Gallery; Blackburn College; Festival of the Moon; Blackburn with Darwen council and a visit Blackburn Youth Zone & The Making Zone highlighted the transformative power of dedicated spaces for young people where we heard the remarkable story of a refugee woman who, supported by Youth Zone, went on to compete in the Olympics representing refugees. We also were able to see the transformation that has happened to The Making Zone

Community Event

The visit culminated in a vibrant community event where Anceu coliving and Arroelo coworking presented their work and shared ideas and food with local makers, fostering future international collaborations. We also heard from Gareth about his plastic recycling business.

The Future

Hosting Anceu and Arroelo at The Making Rooms was a mutually enriching experience. Inspired by their insights, we look forward to fostering continued collaboration, particularly in areas of sustainability, art, and social inclusion.