What is Workbench Alpha?

[Sci]

What is a makerspace?

Makerspace is a broad term covering many types of multi-purpose communal workshops around the world. They self-define under many different titles, but are all in one way or another a place you can go to make things you otherwise could not on your own due to constraints of space, material, understanding or equipment. They are places for creativity, community, reuse, and self-education.

But what is Workbench Alpha?

In February 2018 I got involved in a long discussion about in what ways the setup of a makerspace could be improved. What were the ideals and end-goals of a space? I'd been a member of the London Hackspace for about 7 years, but its Bethnal Green location had recently closed and begun a move far West to Wembley, meaning it was no longer viable for me to get there. The idea of starting a new community workshop for East London was very appealing.

We came to several conclusions:

Staffing
One was that most of the day-to-day issues of a makerspace could be resolved (or largely mitigated) by having someone on staff full-time. Someone to sign tools in and out, to check for damage and repair them, to clean up at the end of day, to offer advice, to address conflict and enforce rules of behaviour. It would also provide the option for extra income streams by providing internal sales of material, or cutting services to non-members.

Though it would necessitate having set opening hours, unlike the 24hr access many tend to adopt as they grow, it would still only effect a small proportion of the membership. It would also in turn reduce instances of theft and prevent people using it as a cheap hotel.

Goals
Many spaces seem to work only to immediate goals. They begin as a reaction to the need for shared space, they continue growing as a reaction to increased membership. They acquire on demand but rarely plan far ahead. Part of that is because of their volunteer-run nature; it's hard to push a set goal when it can only be done in your spare time. Another part is because there is usually no end-goal for a space as a whole beyond sustaining itself.

Philosophically, a makerspace is somewhere anyone can go to make something. So its end goal should be to become a place where anything can be made (though perhaps not as efficiently as a dedicated factory might). It's as simple as a 5-year plan of facilities to provide. To provide for that widest scope of bespoke, then to start paying it forward.

Community
We noted that makerspaces tend to be started by groups in computing fields, which at present heavily biases the initial demographics toward straight white men, and causes the subsequent membership to self-select on whether feel they'll be comfortable with that group. We also noted there was often very little engagement with local communities, with membership tending to remain within particular creative industries, spreading by word-of-mouth.

If you have the option to change things for the better and do not, then you are supporting things remaining bad.

Getting a diverse and sociable initial membership on board will go a long way engaging with a wider group of people. As will engaging with, or hosting, local community events. And as will having clear and uniformly enforced rules of behaviour.


A lot of these conclusions were supported by a survey I conducted during the same period, the summary of which can be found here: 2018 survey of expectations

I've spent a lot of the intervening time making estimates and costings toward a business plan. Many aspects of a makerspace like this requires a lot of initial investment, but with the multiple income streams having an attendant staff affords it should be achievable with a simple business loan. There are many aspects still to cover however. I need your help and advice to bring this to fruition.

Actually I was just curious about the name.

Why "Workbench Alpha"? It's a working title that stuck. We felt it was suggestive of both an intent to provide the fundamentals of material work first (rather than prioritising computing and gadgets), as well as hinting that it's an attempt at doing it all in a new way, or maybe that it's the first of more to come.