Brighton Mini Maker Faire

Interactive makers’ extravaganza comes to Brighton Corn Exchange

The biggest celebration of arts, crafts, science and technology in the South East returns to Brighton Corn Exchange on 6 September (10am-6pm) for the fourth year running. The Brighton Mini Maker Faire is praised as one of the most interactive, innovative, educational and fun family-friendly events of the year.

Radio-controlled full combat robot mayhem, remote-controlled underwater robots, a walking skeleton, DIY portable sound systems, 3D chocolate printing, live-action Pac Man, toy hacking and a homemade electric car are just some of the highlights in store for visitors to the 2014 Brighton Mini Maker Faire. And don’t forget to look out for the roving Daleks and members of the Star Wars Rebel Legion.

This year’s event promises to be bigger and better, showcasing the best in Maker culture with more than 70 makers and workshops, and close to 4,000 visitors expected to attend at the Brighton Dome Corn Exchange.

You see children and grown-ups having such a great time just tinkering and making all day long

“I enjoy the fact that there are so many cool things to do, and you see children and grown-ups having such a great time just tinkering and making all day long,” said Eddie Hill from Brighton. “You don’t get to see things like this in a shop”.

Organisers of the Brighton Mini Maker Faire have had a record-breaking ‘call to makers’ response for this year’s event, which will include a wide variety of makers who will be showcasing and sharing their skills from arts and crafts, technology, electronics, music and engineering, to DIY, woodworking, metalworking and more amazing do-it-yourself creations. All visitors will be given the opportunity to participate, try something new and have a go at making something themselves.

“We’re hugely excited about this year’s Brighton Mini Maker Faire,” said co-organiser Andrew Sleigh. “We’re bringing together some of the most innovative makers from across the UK and Europe. We’ll be showcasing projects that inspire creativity and innovation, encouraging everyone to get their hands dirty. The event will be buzzing with energy!”

Exploring Senses will be launching the Young Inventors Centre at the Maker Faire with a workshop, themed as ‘a Noisy, Wearable, Playful combination,’ supported by ‘ReCreate’, an Interreg Channel EU funded project.

Other highlights included on the day: electrically conductive paint technology, how to tweet messages on an LED matrix, bags created from upcycled materials, studio sound experiments, science experiments you can do at home, robots of all shapes and sizes, and a foam gun arcade, as well as mosaic-making, needlecraft, amiguruni (the Japanese art of knitting), and alternative yarn techniques.

There will be many different workshops to choose from which will take place throughout the event. Each workshop is designed to fire up your imagination, teach new skills and offer a more in-depth making session – including a musical doodles sound board experience, how to design your own comic strips, discover Lego WeDo robotics, create your own hovercrafty critters, weave a basket from recycled paper, design silver jewellery rings, create polymer clay charms, make TetraPak wallets, and hack/repurpose old clothing, as well as soldering, wet felting and woodworking.

For a full list of this year’s makers, see www.makerfairebrighton.com/makers/
Advance tickets are £6 for adults, available through the website www.makerfairebrighton.com/tickets/
(£8 on the door) with kids going FREE.

For updates, follow the organisers on Twitter @MakerFaireBTN and Facebook.com/brightonmakerfaire
Brighton Mini Maker Faire is supported by the Arts Council England and is part of Brighton Digital Festival, a month-long celebration of digital culture throughout September in Brighton.