Where to begin

This year is a bit different, so we thought our review should be a bit different too. Scroll on for an overview of the brilliant things our members have been up to this year.

As the Covid-19 global pandemic hit Europe, Makerversity’s pioneering community brought their collective talents together to produce urgently needed PPE for frontline workers. Read more here and see below video.

The project produced over 100,000 re-usable face shields, made from recycled PLA and reclaimed ocean plastic, for use by frontline workers. As a result of the success of this project we are taking it to the next level and have created a health innovation residency.

New solutions are still needed to support frontline workers, vulnerable people at particular risk and those suffering from social isolation. Working with the Healthcare Workers’ Foundation, Makerversity’s Makers with a Mission programme is launching a call for a special Health-Tech cohort who will work on ground-breaking solutions.

Successful applicants will win a 6 month residency, with access to a bespoke workspace sponsored by the Healthcare Workers’ Foundation, all Makeversity’s workshops, business support, extensive membership benefits and mentoring from a variety of health, physical manufacturing and digital product experts. 

Read all about it and APPLY NOW here or share with friends!

The PPE 3D printer farm was featured in Wallpaper* here and our members’ brilliant sustainable projects were featured here including Nate Petre (p.110) The Shellworks (p.70) Salty Co and Kaiku (p.76.)

Princes trust x Makerversity, online workshops

Every 6 months since almost the beginning of Makerversity’s existence, we have run hands on making workshops for 18-25yr olds in partnership with The Princes Trust. This year was a little different so the workshops went online and we delivered our first digital Get Started in Product Design course. Led by Tina Gorjanc, 10 young people prototyped PPE products, using kits of materials sent to their homes in advance. A number of our members delivered specific workshops and you can see some of the sketches and results below.

Studio Ini

Winner of Dezeen Designer of the Year 2020

Studio INI was founded by designer, engineer and artist Nassia Inglessis. With offices in Athens and London, Studio INI challenges the notion of architecture as static; as a rigid shelter, disparate to our fluid minds and our connected existence in nature's ecosystem.

The Shellworks and Salty Co

Finalists in the Arts Foundation Awards in the Materials Innovation category

This award represents the seventh award of the Materials Evolution Award supported by The Clothworkers' Company, bringing together the extraordinary work of design and craft entrepreneurs involved in new materials. The 2021 award will focus on those defining new contexts for material practice including those working in a range of different areas in the lifecycle of production of materials from the development of the raw material, construction through to finishing and reprocessing of material.

Ksoni

Sheeo The 2020 UK Venture Semi Finalists

Ksoni are a sustainable body care brand designed to expand the eco-mindset in the bathroom through their range of bathroom products packaged in aluminium cans.

The Tyre Collective

James Dyson Award International Runner Up

Tyre Collective have developed patent pending technology that captures tyre wear right at the wheel; safeguarding us from the second largest microplastic pollutant in our environment.

Make your own Masters

Beazley Designs of the Year 2020

Unable to afford the fees to undertake a postgraduate degree in design, Stacie Woolsey decided to set up her own masters programme. She now runs it as a programme for other designers.

Taur

The Electric Road Scooter

318 backers pledged £253,250 to help bring this project to life. They also made one of the best Kickstarter video’s we’ve seen!

Turn and Flow

Successfully funded during a pandemic. Turn and Flow is developing the technology to recycle organic pads and tampons. Their system will make used menstrual care products into a source of energy and natural fertiliser.

Wingback

Wingback make beautiful quality products, and this year completed TWO Kickstarters! A custom mechanical pen that will last a lifetime and everyday essentials in black steel. A collective £132k raised.

Fuzl

New website and new colour-ways of their flat pack screw free furniture, oh and it’s also totally gorgeous.

The Circle Guitar by Anthony Dickens

Yes, a circular guitar. This is an electric guitar that employs a mechanical ‘step sequencer’ disc on its body, which rotates underneath the strings. Read all about it here

Etikette

Etikette was founded during lockdown, making beautiful waxed cotton jackets. The Commuter Jacket is a celebration of our NEW commutes, An early morning walk to the coffee shop, a cycle to a meeting, an evening stroll around the block.

Content is queen

A new podcast studio joined Makerversity this year, the brilliant Content is Queen offer recording services (amongst plenty of other things!) and reduced rates for members to use recording equipment.

Fashion: An Alternative Future

Our most successful online event hosted by Cassie Quinn all about combining craft, bio-materials and technology to assist in resolving issues of waste in the fashion industry.

So good they ran it twice!

FESTIVE SPIRIT

Last but not least, we’re super proud of Stables & Lucraft who designed and installed a five-metre Christmas tree at the Shangri-la hotel (in the Shard), which echoes the structure of the building it inhabits and is made from recycled and recyclable materials.

The installation was also recently featured in The Telegraph here.

If you've got an exciting project we've missed please let us know and we’ll showcase you in the New Year :)

We might have missed out on our annual members’ Xmas party (for obvious reasons) and seeing all your lovely faces, but a big thankyou to everyone for being part of this wonderful community - through thick and thin! We’ll be back next year with more events and exciting projects, and hopefully face-to-face parties!

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from all the Makerversity team.