Category: Uncategorized

Event: Open evening, lantern making for Samhain

Friday 1st November 2024, 7–9pm

Zoe Matthews of the Machynlleth lantern procession will lead a workshop together with Ruth Gordon to show us how to make decorative lanterns for Samhain. All materials provided.

As it’s an open day, Machspace will be open to the public, and we invite you to read our open day rules before attending. It’s pay-as-you-feel, so anyone can attend regardless of income, and donations are very welcome. There will also be pay-as-you-feel refreshments.

See you there! 

Facebook event: Click here

Event: Open day, gel printing

Saturday 19th October 2024, 12–2pm

 

Tomoko will lead this beginner’s workshop to teach some basics on how to use gel plates for monotype printmaking. Please bring your own acrylic paint and scissors if you can. I will befilming the workshop for the purpose of promoting and sharing gel printing skills (for Japanese audiences). Please let Tomoko know if you don’t want to be in a frame so I can arrange the camera and seating in advance. You can contact her on tomoko5179@icloud.com

As it’s an open day, Machspace will be open to the public, and we invite you to read our open day rules before attending. It’s pay-as-you-feel, so anyone can attend regardless of income, and donations are very welcome. There will also be pay-as-you-feel refreshments.

See you there! 🙂

Facebook event: Click here

Event: Open day, cut up poetry workshop

Saturday 21st September 2024, 2-4pm (note different time!)

Ruth will guide us in cut-up approach to poetry – cutting up some text and rearranging it into poetry.

As it’s an open day, Machspace will be open to the public, and we invite you to read our open day rules before attending. It’s pay-as-you-feel, so anyone can attend regardless of income, and donations are very welcome. There will also be pay-as-you-feel refreshments.

See you there! 🙂

Facebook event: Click here

Event: Open day, theme lino-printing

Saturday 7th September 2024, 12-2pm

Saturday 5th October 2024, 12-2pm

This open day will be led by Pat, who has experience with a similar community workshop focused on printing. She’ll teach us how to cut a design into a section of lino, and then print it onto paper.

As it’s an open day, Machspace will be open to the public, and we invite you to read our open day rules before attending.

We look forward to seeing you there! 🙂

Facebook event: Click here

Event: Open day, introduction to macramé

Saturday 17th August 2024, 12-2pm

Pat will demonstrate the basic macramé knots, and then teach tree macramé and butterfly macramé to make wall hangings. We’ll provide the string, but bring a stick, 30cm dowel or hoop for your design to hang from.

As it’s an open day, Machspace will be open to the public, and we invite you to read our open day rules before attending. It’s pay-as-you-feel, so anyone can attend regardless of income, and donations are very welcome. There will also be pay-as-you-feel refreshments.

See you there! 🙂

Facebook event: Click here

Would you like to volunteer at Machspace?

Market day support (one-off or ongoing)

The most time-sensitive one at the top! This Wednesday, 10am-2pm, Penny is running a Machspace market stall outside the workshop – more details below. She would love some company, for this and maybe future Wednesdays. If you’re helping out you can also sell your own arts and crafts for 30% commission. If you’re interested, email us: hello@machspace.org

Woodworking (ongoing)

Managing the woodworking area is a responsibility and a pretty big job, so we are reaching out to see if anyone would like to co-manage alongside Matt. Here’s the job description.

If you like woodworking and sharing your skills, if you can be committed in the longer term, and if you work well as part of a small team, we would love to hear from you. Click here to email us about it.

Open days (ongoing)

Twice a month, for two hours each time, we open Machspace to the general public. It’s a chance for members to socialise, and for curious people to see what we’re about without having to sign up for membership. Sometimes there’s an arty or crafty theme to draw people in.

We need a volunteer to run our open days. We estimate about 2 hours per week, looking something like this:

  • Hosting two 2-hour open days per month: taking care of Machspace, welcoming new people, enabling refreshments, answering questions, helping people apply for membership;
  • Recruiting enthusiastic people to share their arts and crafts skills with open day attendees;
  • If they’re needed, researching and buying supplies for themed open days.

If you like meeting people, you’re confident communicating in person and online, and you work well under your own initiative, would you like to give this a try? If so, drop us a line.

Painting (one-off)

Tanya will be painting the wall behind the sofa in Machspace on the weekend of 24th/25th August, and volunteer assistance is very much appreciated! If you’re interested, please RSVP: hello@machspace.org

Recent space improvements

Also known as: the fun photo gallery

The kitchen’s hot water tap thing has been moved higher up, so now it’s easier to wash up your mugs. And there’s a space-efficient magnetic strip on the wall for cutlery, a new donation pot with a PayPal QR code on it, and bilingual signage.

Matt’s started organising the woodworking tools onto the tool wall:

We’ve rearranged some furniture so that the workshop feels more spacious, and there’s a proper first aid station. (Some supplies and equipment in baskets are now stored on the shelf under the sewing table: paper drawers, laminator, badge maker, comb binder.)

There’s a new box to make it easier to find a charger cable:

And we now have a lost and found box:

Good stuff!

Event: Open day, mending anti-procrastination

Saturday 3rd August 2024, 12-2pm

Image credit: Left, middle, right

Have you been putting off your mending? Come and do it in good company! Plus, if you’re not sure on the best technique, maybe someone else can help you out.

As it’s an open day, Machspace will be open to the public, and we invite you to read our open day rules before attending. It’s pay-as-you-feel, so anyone can attend regardless of income, and donations are very welcome. There will also be pay-as-you-feel refreshments.

See you there! 🙂

Facebook event: Click here

Machspace are seeking a: SuperTemp! (Admin, space management, fundraising)

[ Cymraeg ]

This is a temporary contract role to last up to 2 months initially with the possibility of extending the contract. Start date is ASAP.

We have 27 hours of work available initially, which will need to be done within 2 months though this can be done sooner if you have the availability. Some of the jobs are more urgent and will need to be tackled within the first 2 weeks of starting. Working hours are flexible.

We have a budget of £27 per hour with a little room for negotiation.

As a freelance contractor you would be responsible for invoicing us your hours and your own tax return.

We are looking for someone with experience in:

  • Admin on Google Drive
  • Fundraising for community organisations
  • Communicating via phone, email and direct message in work role
  • Good in-person communication skills in a work role
  • Proactively managing your own schedule

The role will involve (but is not limited to):

  • Writing a funding application (with help)
  • Organising files on Google Drive
  • Recruiting and managing tradespeople for small jobs at Machspace
  • Printing and installing labels and signage
  • Creating monitoring forms
  • Dealing with space rental contracts 

About Machspace: We are a makerspace in the centre of the town of Machynlleth in Powys, Wales.

A makerspace is a community resource, in the same category as a library or leisure centre. It’s a building containing a lot of equipment for members to come and use – 3D printers, sewing machines, drills and saws, soldering equipment, laser cutters, looms, etc.

Our director board and base of volunteers is gender- and disability-diverse and we do most of our staff communication on WhatsApp.

To find out more about makerspaces, visit the Hackspace Foundation.

To apply, please send 200-300 words, or a short video, letting us know about your experience and suitability for the role, to hello@machspace.org.

Closing date: 1st July 2024
Location: Hybrid – Machynlleth/Remote

Our first AGM

Yesterday we held our first ever AGM, and we think it went pretty well! We required 10% of our membership (a “quorum”, 8 people at the moment) to proceed, and there were four directors and six members present, so that was an excellent start.

We also saw some presentations:

Chris gave a summary of Machspace’s financial situation over the last year, including donations and grant funding.

Penny gave a timeline of our progress so far, including directors and volunteers coming onboard and equipment being acquired.

Cassian talked about our plans and hopes for the future, including paid staff, larger premises, more directors and volunteers, and future funding possibilities.

Artist’s impression of future potential layout by Tanya

A big thank you to everyone who came along! We really appreciate the support, and we love that people are as excited as we are about Machspace and its future.

If you’d like to read the minutes or view the accounts, please do feel free to get in touch: hello@machspace.org