We welcome Kang Cheng as a new resident in the Maker Library, all the way from Shenzhen, China! He joins Machines Room as part of the British Council Hello Shenzhen maker residency programme.
Kang is a 3D printing specialist and Techincal Director at Zealfull Tech, and is joining us at Machines Room until the end of March. During his time here, Kang will be working on a project in collaboration with Maker Library Residents, Disrupt Disability. He will be designing and prototyping a core ‘hub’ for a wheelchair.
Disrupt Disability are exploring how makerspaces can be used to connect wheelchair users directly to the design and manufacturing process of making wheelchairs. During his residency, Kang will be working closely with Disrupt Disability’s Founder Rachael Wallach to develop a wheelchair hub with a set of standardised interfaces which could then be used to enable wheelchair users to customise and create individual wheelchair components.
Machines Room is one of seven UK makerspaces selected to host the Hello Shenzhen programme, supported by the British Council.
10 Shenzhen-based makers have been selected to take part in three week long residencies with some of the UK’s leading makerspaces and creative organisations. They will bring with them a wide range of expertise, from industrial design to mechanical engineering as well as providing insights into the unique culture of making and manufacturing in Shenzhen.
These residencies will cover a variety of themes including disability, maker education, community development, sustainability and repair culture. The makers will be hosted by Access Space, Central Research Laboratory, FACT, Impact Hub Westminster, Lighthouse, Machines Room and Makerversity. They will work with their host organisation on specific projects involving collaboration with local makers, designers, academics, startups or creative organisations.
They will regularly record their journey through blogs, photos and videos and share the outcomes of their residency during public events. You can find out more details about each residency theme here.
The Chinese makers will fly to Edinburgh on 1 March to take part in a Global Maker Event and connect with makers and experts from South Africa, Nigeria, Turkey, Mexico, Ukraine and the UK, as well as attend Maker Assembly Edinburgh. They will return to Shenzhen on 25 March to take part in celebratory events at the end of the residencies.
Find out more here: //creativeconomy.britishcouncil.org/blog/17/02/16/hello-shenzhen-meet-shenzhen-makers/