explore – Open workshop for all!

Open workshops, laboratories for tinkering or ‘FabLabs’ are places where anyone who is interested in putting their ideas into practice receives guidance on how to use the available tools, machines and materials. Throughout, they are supported by (volunteer) experts who promote a spirit of ingenuity and creativity as well as the courage to tackle problems oneself.
However, it can be difficult for such open workshops to reach secondary school students as well as young adults with specific disadvantages, and new approaches are needed to communicate what is on offer and lower the access threshold. Against this backdrop and within the framework of a call for proposals, the Verbund Offene Werkstätten (‘Network for Open Workshops’) is encouraging its broader network to develop ideas on how their workshops can be further opened up to disadvantaged young people. From over 50 applications, a jury has selected seven of the most promising ideas for an implementation phase. Among others, promotion is being given to the development of the mobile workshop “Maker:Kutsche to go”, which aims to help children and young people in the structurally weak rural region of Brandenburg to participate in digital transformation and increase their digital literacy. One of the selected projects is the initiative ‘Verschraubt und Zugedremelt’ from the Women’s Centre Cottbus. Here, girls undertake small DIY video projects and attend workshops on craft-related and technical subjects that aim to question gender stereotypes, provide career orientation and reinforce self-esteem. The results and experiences from the overall tendering process will be made available as open-source documentation for other open workshops, which are encouraged to adapt the concepts for their own work.