“These range from the quirky to the complicated, from restaurants to sports wearmanufacturers,” he says.
One (slightly ironic given Wellington’s movie making pedigree and the fact that Bennett hasworked in the industry) are people wanting something that they’ve seen on-screen.
“Some people want movie prop quality, but at a Bunnings price,” he says.
“Often we’ll be able to do it, although people should realise that what they’ve seen in amovie might have cost $50,000, but they want it done for a budget of say $800- it's hard toaccommodate sometimes” and there’s hopefully a growing understanding that one minute of lasercutting on MakerSpace’s large 1400mm x 900mm CO2 laser cutter/engraver can often require an houror more's 'consulting and project discussion' before it takes place – it all takes time.
As well as such bread and butter income generating business, the other aspect of The WellingtonMakerSpace (which also has a 3D CNC router and a 3D printer) that excites Bennett is the developmentof a making focussed community – one that’s willing to share ideas, willing to help out and manycreate income streams for the community as a whole.
MakerSpace provides a shell where the spark of creativity can be expressed - “It is wherepeople, resources and ideas can come together in a way you don’t necessarily see in everydaylife,” Bennett says.
To that end, MakerSpace is soon to have a market stall/shop front that will be (quickly) erectedeach Saturday morning at the waterfront’s Frank Kitts Underground Market...
It is a place where people can quickly test their newly made products such as jewellery, trinketsand other cool stuff on the public.
“It is a product validation and test,” Bennett says. “You don’t really know what peoplewant till you ask them, and the stall provides a quick turnover and feedback.”
From there, products can be made and sold worldwide – mostly through the internet via TheWellington Makerspace’s online shopping portal which will also be completed very soon.
Bennett sees MakerSpace as providing an incubator environment, the success of which will beentirely separate from The Wellington Makerspace, as new creative physical businesses branch off andgrow from ideas created within the Space.
Along the way MakerSpace is also teaching people new skills -or renovating some old one's -makingpeople aware that they can actually design, create and make things themselves - not only consumingwhat the market offers.
As well as offering it's own Wednesday evening “intro to using the digital equipment”-typecourses, The Wellington Makerspace has teamed up with another newly formed and Wellington Home Grownenterprise – Chalkle.com and together they now offer a whole gambit of creative and learningworkshops.
An extremely popular series of courses introduced to adventurous Wellingtonians is themed aroundan impending ‘Zombie Apocalypse’, and includes survival weapon-making especially Longbows,crossbows and PVC Pipeguns - demand for the sessions has leapt and they now have long waiting listsfor many weeks in advance. Checkout here for details.
“We’re introducing people to the idea of being kids again,” Bennett says. “Making,playing, experimenting, being part of a wider community.”
He considers that part of MakerSpace’s attraction “is for oddballs like me.” This isparticularly for people who possibly 'don’t quite fit', but who are creative and are looking foran outlet and place to express that.
Bennett’s also keen to work with schools - particularly the lower decile ones and be able toprovide positive experiences for what he terms the “rough diamond” kids in particular.
“Often these kids aren’t bad kids, a little wayward maybe? Bored? or could it be that they'rejust not academic [or even too clever?],” he says. “If we can provide them with the opportunityto do cool stuff now – help them realise that they can create their own futures, maybe we’regoing to help stop them from getting in trouble when they’re older.”
