Access Space
Self-protrait
At Access Space, people interested in art, design, computers, recycling, music, electronics, photography and more meet like-minded people, share and develop skills and work on creative, enterprising and technical projects.
Access Space runs Refab Space, a DIY FabLab, developed and completed in 2012. With its suite of rapid prototyping tools, for instance, a laser cutter and 3D printer, this benefits artists, business start-ups and the community as a whole.
Access Space is an inclusive environment. As well as working with artists, academics, creative technologists, programmers, other professionals and students, 50% of the participation in Access Space’s activities are from people in danger of exclusion and on the margins of society, including: people with disabilities, homeless people, ex-offenders, asylum seekers, refugees and people with mental health issues. Through Refab Space, Access Space engages with self starters and entrepreneurs as well. One of the strengths of Access Space is that it brings people from different backgrounds together.
We aim to inspire people to do new creative things; we aim to make a positive impact on people’s lives by helping them to get out of their comfort zone in a supportive environment.
We operate at a very low cost with a minimal carbon footprint through our innovative model, which combines free, open source software and locally sourced recycled laptops with the collective know-how of a skill-sharing community. The capital cost of the lab is next to nothing, upgrades are free, and the capacity of the lab to deliver skills increases with usage. (http://access-space.org/about-us/)
Description
Access Space is a charitable educational organization and medialab started by the Access Space Network in 2000 in Sheffield, UK, with support from the Arts Council of England, the European Social Fund and the UK National Lottery (http://rti.lowtech.org/intro/). Its current director is Jake Harries. It offers a free workspace and collaborative learning space around the use of digital technologies, aimed at anyone interested in art, technology, digital recycling and open source software. Besides encouraging learning, Access Space also works as a space for developing art projects, workshops, exhibits, performances and art residencies in liaison with the community. Its purpose is boosting a culture built around collaboration and exchange of information on topics such as electronics, robotics, DIY, hardware hacking, prototyping, reverse engineering, film, animation, photography, programming, etc. Besides the open, free digital lab, Access Space also offers access (at a monthly fee) to Refab Space, a physical computing lab furnished with different digital and electronic tools, such as laser cutters, 3D printers, etc. Access Space and its activities are founded on the philosophy of the Redundant Technology Initiative, an art group created in 1997. They promote the use of free, open source software, as well as using recycled hardware exclusively, at no cost, through donations, salvaging, etc. (http://www.lowtech.org/intro/)
Links
Wayback Machine: http://web.archive.org/web/20160910025341/http://access-space.org/
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Access_Space
