Chemnitz (dpa/sn) – building pinball machines, programming robots, cell phone photography or founding a company: Chemnitz has heralded its maker week with many workshops. The organizers announced on Monday that inventors and hobbyists, companies and creative people, young and old should be brought together under the title “Makers United”. On the way to the European Capital of Culture 2025, the doer mentality of the people in the city and the surrounding area should be sharpened and something lasting should be created.
About five geodomes are made of wood, which will be used at events in the future. To do this, more than 4,600 individual pieces of wood are sawn, drilled, sanded, nailed together and painted. In an upcycling course, fantasy worlds, fairytale figures and magical creatures are created from various materials, and a computer club shows how old computers and other hardware can be turned into usable devices again.
The highlight of the action week is the “Maker Faire” at the weekend. Then around 50 creative and hands-on stands will open in and around the Stadthalle. These include a reed boat from the Abora project by experimental archaeologist Dominique Görlitz and a VR bus in which visitors can immerse themselves in virtual realities (VR). The fair is more international than in previous years and will have more festival character, it said. Exhibitors from South Korea, England, Austria, Estonia and Slovenia are represented. In addition, a stage for music and dance will be set up in the town hall fountain.
Meanwhile, school classes can try out hands-on stations on Thursday and Friday. The aim is to make the content of scientific subjects tangible there, said Katrin Hoffmann from the Saxony Industry Association in 1828. This is about textile or 3D printing, casting and woodwork, as well as artificial intelligence. The campaign entitled “beam! Be a Maker” invites you to try it out and do it yourself. In the afternoons, these offers can also be used by all other interested parties.
