The challenge

The aim of this project is to address a threefold problem related to the decline of hands-on hobbies in the Netherlands. While maker spaces exist, they can be prohibitively expensive. Firstly, by providing affordable creative spaces, we hope to make them more accessible to individuals who may not have the resources to pursue their interests otherwise. Secondly, our goal is to create a community of builders and learners who can share their knowledge and skills with one another. By bringing together people with different expertise, we hope to foster a culture of collaboration and innovation. Thirdly, we aim to create awareness about the cost of raw materials, encouraging people to think more sustainably about their creative pursuits. With the rise of screen-based activities, hobbies are becoming increasingly scarce, and we believe that the younger generation needs to be exposed to more hands-on activities. Our project aims to inspire and enable people to pursue their creative passions and reconnect with the joy of making.

The solution

Our solution aims to address the high costs of creative spaces and workshops while building a collaborative community of builders and learners. To make these spaces more affordable, we suggest partnering with the Dutch government to explore alternative venues, such as "antikraak" spaces. For learning, we propose having professional builders at each station to guide learners, or allowing anyone to become a "teacher" and share their knowledge with the community. This community-driven approach encourages innovation and enables individuals to learn and grow at their own pace. To reduce costs associated with raw materials, we encourage individuals to bring their own scrap materials and use reclaimed materials, and we suggest that the government could help by sourcing and providing these materials. For refined raw materials, members can purchase them for a market price or through a coin system that assigns different coin values to materials based on their cost and availability. Additionally, we plan to create in-house workshops to produce sustainable materials. Our solution aims to make creative spaces and learning accessible to everyone while promoting sustainability and innovation.

Mission

To make hands-on hobbies accessible and sustainable through affordable creative spaces, a community of builders and learners, and a responsible approach to raw materials.