The Real Change “Makers”
Are you a “Maker”? It’s a community like no other. And chances are, all of us are “Makers” in one way or another – you just haven’t discovered what excites you enough to “Make” yet.
Makers are idealists, and always interested in finding “new” ways to make big things happen, with Einstein’s quote resonating perfectly for people who fit in this mould, as the “definition of insanity is to keep doing the same things over and over, and expecting different results.” Well, makers are not interested in doing the same old things. Passionate about taking the road less travelled, the community’s modulus operandi is simple – to collaborate, to co-create, to find exciting new ways of addressing the challenges that lie ahead, and then making them happen. Never backing down from a challenge, and in fact enjoying them (that’s how we know we’re onto a winner!).
Still not sure if you’re one? The maker community as a contemporary subculture represents a technology-based extension of DIY culture – the stuff that we used to do all the time at home, in the office or at the subway. Don’t we all love those “Top 10 Life Hacks” videos that permeates the social sphere every now and then? The New York Times has called the makers community, ‘kitchen table industrialists’ at one point. Now aren’t we all are at some point?
Typically, interests enjoyed by today’s “maker subculture” include engineering-oriented pursuits such as electronics, robotics, 3D printing, 2D plotter cutting, waterjet cutting, and the use of CNC tools (even applied to embroidery), as well as more traditional activities such as metalworking, woodworking, and traditional arts and crafts. The whole print-on-demand industry is another example, where authors can produce books even one at a time. The Maker community stresses new and unique applications of technologies and encourages invention and prototyping. Generally, there is a strong focus on using and learning practical skills and applying them creatively.
And this is exactly what Campuseros can expect at the inaugural Campus Party in July, from completely hands-on application work on Laser Cutting, to building your own VR goggles and even opportunities to ignite creative sparks with other traditionally non-maker communities that you would never have imagined you would have a chance to meet – IoT, bitcoin and Cosplay groups, for instance.
How about the tales of Farah Sanwari and Arvin Febriyan, Executive Director and Tech Implementation Lead of Sustainable Living Lab, a non-profit social enterprise formed to build powerful movements that lead towards a sustainable future, having been involved with the region’s Maker Movement, the Repair Movement in Singapore and most recently the Sustainable Innovation movement in Asia. Believing that it is possible for organisations to innovate in an efficient manner and unlock new value by focusing on achieving sustainability, and tackling issues such as resource scarcity and excess waste, both Farah and Arvin are fierce proponents of the art of “purposeful making” and how sustainability and innovative Making can truly become a way of future living. Your best opportunity to get close and personal with these Maker champions if there ever was one!
At Campus Party Singapore, the fun and the curious, the tinkerers, learners and makers can truly call this place Home. A purpose-build journey through knowledge, dreams, learning, creating and sharing, it is a global community movement, a convergence of thousands of talents from myriad fields devoted single-mindedly to the pursuit of creativity and innovation across multiple disciplines. The festival attracts not only the inspired but also the curious. It advocates the breaking down of barriers by uniting and advocating a multi-cultured learning environment where talents from all walks of life will be able to collaborate and solve problems. Makers will feel right at home in any of the following curated activity zones:
- Campus Party Arena, an innovation incubator zone to foster maximum creativity through conferences, workshops and non-stop challenges 24/7, designed to empower, challenge and learn;
- Campus Party Experience, where inspirational performances, innovative showcases and organically-presented displays & exhibits allows participants to see and touch the future. This area will inspire the curious, co-create possibilities and motivate participants to get involved in new projects, and
- Campus Party Village, a uniquely designed camp site to rest, re-charge and build upon informal collaborative opportunities through eating, learning and sleeping with participants from all walks of life
To all of Asia’s bedroom and closet “Makers”, this is your chance to come out and play.
Ticketing and registration information to Asia’s first edition of Campus Party is available at https://singapore.campus-party.org/. Also visit Campus Party Singapore’s social platforms at
