Technology + art workshops

The need

Local organisations, such as libraries, are always looking for ways to engage people in the community. During school holidays they often want programs aimed at children, teens, families and carers.

In 2021, post-COVID lockdowns, Libraries ACT was looking for a variety of interesting programs, including activities related to science and technology.

Our solution

Claire expanded her previous work offering community technology-art workshops creating Brave Bots (through the Changemaker Career and Craft Hub) to a new workshop format for the school holidays.

The workshop is designed to engage participants with emerging (industry 4.0) technology — robotics and 3-dimensional printing — and demonstrate the concept of ‘for-purpose-art’.

The Brave Bot workshops delivered in the library meeting room were short, hands-on and designed for all ages from toddlers up. (Yes two-year-old children had a blast as colouring-in sheets and crayons were provided.)

The workshops covered:

the idea of creating ‘craft-for-purpose’ i.e. to give to someone in need to brighten their day and the BotJoy movement started by a US artist, Gary Hirsch to spread kindness through art
how robots help in our lives now, for example, with surgery, cleaning up pollution in waterways, providing security in art galleries, safety in mines, etc.
plastic and why petrochemical-based plastic is a problem and that these bots are made from 3D-printed bioplastic (by scientist-turned-artist David Jacquier)
a hands-on exercise to create Brave Bots.

What’s a Brave Bot? A small piece of art, made on a bio-plastic tile, with loads of power to spread joy!