Co-Making: Research into London’s Open access Makerspaces and Shared Workshops Workshop East January 2015 Co-Making Spaces Study © Workshop East 1 Contents Executive summary 4 Introduction 8 A full report prepared for the London Legacy Development Corporation Key Definitions 9 and the Greater London Authority Methodology 10 Disciplines 12 Background 14 1: Initial findings and overview 17 Map of co-making spaces 18 Summary 38 Research 2014 Published January 2015 2: Workshop Profiles 39 Profiled organisations 40 Chart of profiled organisations 44 3: Themes & Case Studies 47 3.1: Setup & Management 51 Themes & Trends 74 by Workshop East 3.2: Supporting Enterprise & Business Growth 91 Themes & Trends 96 3.3: Community & Placemaking 103 with Themes & Trends 108 Engel Hadley Kirk & Rhianon Morgan-Hatch 4. Conclusions & Recommendations 110 4.1 Setup, management and space requirements 110 4.2 Supporting Enterprise & Business Growth 111 4.3 Community & Placemaking 113 4.4 Planning Strategy 114 4.5 Public Sector Collaboration 116 Glossary 119 Co-making spaces - data table 120 List of Supplementary Data 124 2 Co-Making Spaces Study © Workshop East Co-Making Spaces Study © Workshop East 3 Executive summary Workshop East was commissioned by the The second section profiles 22 spaces located London Legacy Development Corporation across London. It illustrates a variety of (LLDC) and the Greater London Authority operational models within the sector. This (GLA) to undertake research into ‘co-making’ section of information provides a greater level within London. of detail from a selection of representative spaces. Co-making as a sector and as a type of workplace was highlighted in the Local Gathered through visits and interviews, this Economy Study1 and the Artist’s Workspace information is presented in photographic and Study2 produced in 2014 by We Made That, chart form to invite constructive comparisons and in the 2014 GLA commissioned report between spaces. Supporting Places of Work: Incubators, The third section looks in detail at several case Accelerators and Co-working Spaces by URS 3. studies and issues such as set up, finance, This report sets out the definition of co- location, community, business, employment making and explores the concept in three and training. parts: Three main case studies - Blackhorse The first overview section compiles Workshop, Workshop East, London Print information from 89 spaces which meet the Studio - are covered in a detailed study of research criteria of a co-making space. Data is layouts and building, and comparisons made presented on disciplines catered for, location, with other spaces. building type, facilities, age, user costs, and With reference to further case studies we business type. then look at how co-making spaces are This gives a picture of co-making in London as supporting business growth, enterprise and of August 2014. It is not representative of all digital technology, as well as their role in ‘making’ spaces in London but instead gives supporting communities and placemaking. an insight into this particular form of collective Finally the report pulls together conclusions work space - giving an idea of the richness, on the current state of co-making spaces scale and scope of what is a largely unseen in London and makes recommendations sector. for supporting them as a vehicle both for fostering enterprise and creating positive 1 LLDC Local Evidence Base Document LEB7: http:// queenelizabetholympicpark.co.uk/our-story/transform- social space. ing-east-london/local-plan/examination-of-the-legacy-cor- poration-local-plan. See p.101 for discussion of open access fabrication facilities. 2 We Made That, 2014. See https://www.london.gov. uk/priorities/regeneration/publications-guidance/support- ing-places-of-work-artists-workspaces 3 ‘Supporting Places of Work: Incubators, Accelerators and Co-working spaces’ URS, (with Gort Scott, Ramidus Consulting & #1 seed), 2014. Related online interactive map available at https://www.london.gov.uk/priorities/regeneration/publica- tions-guidance/supporting-places-of-work-incubators-acceler- ators-and-co-working 4 Co-Making Spaces Study © Workshop East Co-Making Spaces Study © Workshop East 5 Ceramics at Turning Earth pottery, Haggerston Stonecarving at WorkshopEast, Sugarhouse Studios (Photo: Turning Earth) 6 Co-Making Spaces Study © Workshop East Co-Making Spaces Study © Workshop East 7 Introduction Key Definitions This study was commissioned by the Below are defined the main typologies Shared Workshops London Legacy Development Corporation referred to in this document. Co-making is a Refers to spaces set up, maintained and in collaboration with the Greater London developing sector and various other terms are shared by individuals or groups of professional Authority and was undertaken by Workshop used. See glossary for details. or semi-professional makers. The primary East, a shared workshop for professional aim is to pool resources in order to run Co-making space makers in Newham, East London. The independent small businesses. document has been researched and compiled A co-making space is any where tools, with Architecture, Design & Research Practice, specialist equipment, facilities and space are Shared workshops tend to be more private, engelhadleykirk, and Rhianon Morgan-Hatch. shared by two or more individuals or small with mostly long term/full time users. businesses for the purpose of making and They may or may not have an overall Its aim is to provide as representative and production. workspace identity, but generally function as complete a picture as possible of co-making cooperatives. spaces in London: to show the breadth Often occupied by activities requiring large, of enterprises and activities taking place, heavy, dangerous or expensive equipment Many shared spaces have no collective as well as to give examples of individual such as metal work or printmaking, the identity or web presence and can be organisations. It explores specifically the built sector is diverse, spanning making activities more difficult to locate than open access environment and the types of space from from bookbinding to ceramics, 3d printing to organisations. The numbers of shared spaces which they operate, and how this impacts on cooking. found in the initial audit is almost certainly not their role in supporting makers’ businesses the full amount currently operating in London. The term used here reflects the cooperative and building community. A key driver is to aspect which is the focus of this study. For the The terms open access and shared reflect two understand the benefits of affordable, shared purposes of this report, and to help explain ends of a scale of access/public use. This is workspace for makers, and the pressures on certain trends and ways of working, co-making illustrated in Part 2. existing spaces. spaces are divided here into three main types: Institution-based workshops We have included as many organisations as possible that were available during August Open access Describes spaces linked to particular and September 2014. Many individuals Open access refers to spaces and businesses or institutions - for example the have generously contributed their time and organisations that are fully or largely UCL Institute of Making - which are accessible provided valuable information. We would accessible to the general public. Often known primarily to current university students like to thank all those whose insights and as makerspaces or hack/hackerspaces. or members of staff. These spaces are expertise have made this study possible. mentioned but were omitted from detailed They may be open to amateurs or ask for prior studies as they are dependent on specific experience. They usually operate an induction institutional funding structures which merit and membership system giving access to separate study. Drawings and diagrams by Workshop East, facilities and equipment and tend to focus engelhadleykirk and Rhianon Morgan-Hatch. often, but not always, on non-professionals. Photographs by Annie Hanson, Lewis Jones, Workshop East and others as acknowledged. Please contact the authors for permission to reproduce any part of this document. 8 Co-Making Spaces Study © Workshop East Co-Making Spaces Study © Workshop East 9 Methodology The study was conducted over two months in Criteria July/August 2014. Its purpose was to cover Four criteria were established. Organisations a broad range of spaces in order to better needed to have: understand the sector rather than to attempt an audit of all co-making spaces generally. • Premises within London Various self-registering schemes are underway • Engagement with physical making/ for this from the Crafts Council, NESTA, BIS production and the GLA Co-Working Spaces Map. To establish a current overview, an initial • Provision of shared, specialist equipment survey was done through online resources and • Space physically shared by makers, either approaching professional organisations across between two or more businesses or sole London. This quickly revealed a core of visible traders letting/subletting spaces and/or and often newly established workshops, with operating as an open workshop. a strong online presence and links with wider creative and community networks. It also revealed a less visible but equally significant Initial Audit set of workshops and small making businesses Email and phone contact was made with over more privately sharing resources. 120 spaces, 89 of these fitting the criteria. To these, a short questionnaire