Blog: Events
24-2-22
Organising the UCL Repair Café: hope, confidence and friendship
The following blog shares the reflections of some of the organisers and volunteers of the UCL Repair Cafe on February 2022, and shares lessons learnt for those who might want to set up or take part in their own repair café. On a windy, gazabo wobbling Thursday, a small group of dedicated volunteers gathered, aiming to grow, re-purpose and repair. More
12-7-21
The world of pattern cutting
03-10-18
Exploring Materials and Sensory Preference in Prosthetic Limbs
Want to be involved in a study exploring how the sensory and aesthetic properties of materials affects experiences of prosthetic limbs? Read on! More
20-6-17
Hands of X @ Cubitts Kings X
The Hands of X team are presenting a prototype of their exciting bespoke prosthetics service at Cubitts Kings Cross this Thursday and Friday. More
13-9-16
Competition results of the Cutlery Design Challenge
We teamed up with the Worshipful Company of Cutlers, to celebrate their 600th anniversary, and run a competition to design and make a new implement, tool or device for eating. An exhibition will showcase some of the extraordinary, thought-provoking and beautiful things that were submitted. More
10-8-16
Studio Visit to John Hagger
This week I took a trip out of London to the picturesque countryside of Devon. My first stop was to see the very talented John Hagger of Tanner Bates, based in Dartington, Totnes. More
04-4-16
Studio Visit to Faye McNulty
For my first meeting of the day I headed down to Bermondsey. Tucked away in a railway arch amongst car repair workshops and what looks like a conservatory company is Printall Studio where print designer Faye McNulty works. The studio is a fully-equipped, open access textile printing studio where members can either pay by the day or sign up for a monthly membership for more frequent access. More
14-12-15
Studio Visit to Geoffrey Fisher
Nestled on the first floor of an outbuilding surrounded by other makers is green woodworker Geoffrey Fisher. After a quick coffee at Geoff’s studio in High Wycombe, he got me straight to work, drilling a hole into the end of a branch in order to make a whistle. Little did I know that the whistle might come in handy later when we took a trip to the nearby Penn Woods. More
06-10-15
Next Public Open day: Clay & Ceramics on 24th October
Join us for an extravaganza of materials and making around the theme of Clay & Ceramics. More
13-7-15
Festival of Stuff 2015
Our Festival of Stuff may be over for this year but we have been reliving it through an epic amount of photos that were taken. Can you spot yourself in any of them? More
19-5-15
Festival of Stuff
The Festival of Stuff runs from 23rd June to the 27th June, consisting of four days of bookable masterclasses and culminating in an extravaganza of materials and making on Saturday 27th June. More
06-5-15
Light Public Open day
Last Saturday we held an extravaganza of materials and making around the theme of light. Visitors explored how reflective things reflect, made their very own electrical circuit, took a photograph without using a camera and much more. More
30-1-15
Next public Open day: Metal 7th March
This March we will be celebrating metal in all its diversity. Come along and explore metals that have memory, a jet engine turbine blade made from a single crystal, and the wondrous material life of gold in the Materials Library. More
12-1-15
Hidden Histories of Things - Mon 26th Jan
Places available on the 'Hidden Histories of Things' research seminar, organised by the Open University's Commodity Histories project and the Institute of Making. Mon 26th Jan, 9.30am - 4.30pm. More
16-12-14
The Great Robot Egg Race
Back in October, during Robots Week, we launched The Great Robot Egg Race. The challenge was to build a moving robot that could pick up an egg and travel a short distance before putting it down in a frying pan, without smashing it! The robot needed to travel over a variety of different terrains/surfaces, straddle a cube, go under a limbo pole, negotiate a sideways slope and navigate a slalom course to finally deliver the fresh, un-smashed egg into the pan. More
08-12-14
Dates for your diaries
The nights are drawing in, it's getting colder and the Christmas festivities are underway. For those who came to the Festival of Stuff earlier this year here is a video to remind you of warmer times: youtube Below are some dates for your diaries of out next open days and next years Festival of Stuff. More
18-10-14
Public Open day: Carbon: 22nd November
This November, in partnership with the Crafts Council, the V&A and the RSA, we will be staging a London-wide extravaganza of materials and making, called Make:Shift:Do. As part of this, we will be hosting a public open day around the theme of Carbon and a selection of specialist masterclasses. This will be our last open day of 2014, so get it in your diaries now! More
31-7-14
Luted Crucible Bronze Casting
Last week we were shown the elemental delights of hot metal casting with artist Piers Watson, who taught us an ancient technique called "Luted Crucible Bronze Casting”. More
28-5-14
Festival of Stuff
From the 17th to the 21st of June we our having our first Festival of Stuff! Throughout the week there will be bookable masterclasses, workshops and Materials Library discovery sessions, culminating in an extravaganza of materials and making that will be open to all. More
29-4-14
Hat over Heels
Before Easter we had the honour of holding the first Hat Over Heels event, a hat making day for women with cancer or alopecia who have undergone hair loss. More
01-4-14
Factory Tour: Closed Loop Recycling
Yesterday we trekked out to Dagenham Dock to visit the Closed Loop Recycling plant, which was thoroughly intriguing. Upon arriving we were greeted by Nick Cliffe, Marketing Manager and our tour guide for the trip. We began the tour with a short and very informative talk which led into a tour of conveyor-belt-central! More
17-2-14
Making Repairs Research Workshop
Last week, a group of repair experts and enthusiasts from multiple disciplines gathered at the Institute of Making for a day-long workshop interrogating the materials and technologies that make repair possible, and the cultural imperatives that encourage it. More
22-1-14
sKINship
This week we invited sKINship along to the Institute of Making to lead a masterclasses on pattern cutting inspired by reconstructive surgery techniques. sKINship is a research program and professional network, bridging the gap between visual arts and science based practitioners led by Rhian Solomon and Juliana Sissons; creating a space in which to exchange knowledge and ideas, and explore the processes of 'Making' as a universal visual language. More
02-12-13
An olfactory experience with British Master Perfumer Roja Dove
A couple of weeks ago we were thrilled to welcome British master perfumer Roja Dove for an evening of sensory delight. The audience was in for a treat, smelling some of the world's rarest and most prestigious perfumery materials. More
11-11-13
UCLoo Festival Make-a-Thon
Meet the Makers. Free event 19 Nov: come and hear three eco toilet designers discuss their design process and eco sanitation insights. More
11-11-13
Smell and the City with Victoria Henshaw
Last Thursday, led by urban smell specialist Dr Victoria Henshaw from the University of Sheffield, we put our sense of smell to the test as we sniffed out metropolitan scents, whiffs and stinks. More
21-10-13
3D Manufacturing: Promises, Pitfalls and Potential
This workshop focused on the potential and pitfalls of the materials and technologies currently used in 3D printing. It brought together a mix of researchers from different disciplines that have been pushing the boundaries of 3D printing in terms of the materials, software, designs and uses for 3D printers. More
30-9-13
Trees Information Booklet
If you couldn't make the last public open day about Trees, fear not! We have uploaded an information document with lots of exciting tree related facts and links. More
04-9-13
Public Open day - September 28th: Trees
Join us on Saturday the 28th of September for our final public open day for this year. From the the world's toughest rubber, chewing gum made from trees, maple syrup, and just so much more. More
14-6-13
Luminescence Public Open Day - May 25th
Luminescence Public Open Day - May 25th Visitors were able to watch demonstrations by neon artists who were bending and filling neon tubes live in the space. They explored luminescent materials from the library, had a go with 'invisible' UV face paint and mouldable glow-in-the-dark polymorph plastic, and took away laser-etched test tubes filled with glow-in-the-dark liquid. It was one very busy, luminescence-filled day. More
30-4-13
Materials at the Centre
Our first research workshop at UCL brought together researchers from across the arts and humanities, social and historical sciences and physical sciences to interrogate the relationship between academic research and materials and making. More
26-4-13
First Masterclass: Blacksmithing
Ian Lowe and Richard Pace, blacksmiths from Stepney City Farm, set up their mobile forge for our very first Member Masterclass. More
25-1-13
The Grand Public Opening
The Institute of Making invites you to explore our new MakeSpace and Materials Library at UCL on Saturday 16 March, between 1-5pm. More