Maker Faire Calls for Street Team Volunteers

Spring is here! As the weather gets nicer, we know the more you want to be outside basking under the sun and enjoying good conversations with people. So why not be a street team volunteer for the Vancouver Mini Maker Faire this year and support your local community of awesome makers while doing so? All it takes is some comfy shoes, lovely smile (which you already got) and a little bit of your time.

If you’re unfamiliar with Maker Faire, it is one event where art intersects with science and craft intersects with utility in the most interesting ways. This year’s event features more than 100 innovative makers and talented performers with a myriad of skills and passions, from puppetry, to 3D printing, to quilting, to machinery and music making. And you, yes you (and maybe the person behind you), can help us spread the word out to get more people to come for this fun event!

 

Here’s the skinny:

  • Apply to be a Street Team volunteer (the coolest kind out there!)
  • We’ll email you back with an email detailing when and where you can pick up the posters and post cards (location will most likely be around Main St. and 8th)
  • You distribute about 100 posters and 500 post cards to cool shops in your chosen neighbourhood (don’t worry – they’ll go fast!)
  • You get a high five and a free ticket to attend Maker Faire!

 

See, it’s that easy! We’d love to poster every store of every corner by the beginning of May so don’t delay, sign up now!

 

Shoot me an email to stephawie@gmail.com if you have any question.

Written by on April 29th, 2013


Stephanie Wiriahardja was fist exposed to the wonderful world of Maker Faire when her team got invited to San Mateo in 2011 to exhibit their project, Point Locus, a GPS system that was designed and built for the visually impaired. This year, Stephanie is giving back to the local community of awesome makers, doers, and hackers by becoming the Promotions Coordinator.


Posted in Vancouver Mini Maker Faire 2013, Volunteers |





We’re looking for Coordinators!

Are you a people person? Are you passionate about grassroots movements, Maker Culture and DIY? Do you have any experience organizing and co-ordinating large groups of people? (Anywhere from 20-100)? If so, we want to hear from you!

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Vancouver Mini Maker Faire is gearing up for 2013 and we are looking for a Promotions Coordinator and Performance Coordinator. These are all volunteer roles, but aside from the immense gratitude we’ll send your way, we’re planning some great “Thank You” perks.

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If you are interested in any of these roles, please submit a resume and cover letter to info@makerfaire.ca titled, “I want to help Organize Vancouver Mini Maker Faire!”

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******Applications Due: Wednesday, April 17th at midnight.*****

Promotions Coordinator

This job entails overseeing the public outreach and promotion of Vancouver Mini Maker Faire. Working with the Volunteer Coordinator, you’ll organize the Street Team volunteers who will be getting our postcards and posters out into the city. You’ll work with our Maker Coordinator to organize volunteers and Makers who will staff our booth at Got Craft? on April 27 & 28, as well as at Playland the weekend before our event.

The Promotions Co-ordinator should be fairly versed in the Maker movement and love talking to people about it. Good organizational skills and experience directing others are strongly desired. You will be expected to submit a final report.

Performer Coordinator

This role is for someone who loves music, performers, and has some tech know-how/stage crew experience. You’ll organize and schedule the Makers who are Performers, search out some more to fill available slots, act as their point of contact during the weekend, and with your volunteer team make sure the music flows and the smiles shine. You will be expected to submit a final report.

Written by on March 31st, 2013


liisa hannus is a photographer, teacher, writer, theatre rat, troubleshooter and people organizer. She is the Facilities & Logistics Coordinator for the 2013 Vancouver Mini Maker Faire.


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Posted in Vancouver Mini Maker Faire 2013, Volunteers |





Vancouver Mini Maker Faire + Mom = Bliss

Vancouver’s second annual Mini Maker Faire witnessed a sea of smiling faces two weekends ago, as local makers shared, entertained and inspired the city’s hungry minds.

 

Being a volunteer, I was eager to share the experience, so I invited my parents along.

 

There was plenty to see and do — but what first? 3D printer village? Perfume mixing? Soldering? Painting with bikes? Felted beads? Mushboo? Disaster Area?

 

More than 100 makers were busy tinkering, weaving, hacking, playing handmade horns, drawing with robots, and carving faces out of sand.

 

It was a thrill for the senses and a feast for the mind.

 

During a short break, and in between bites of scrumptious pakora, I asked my mom what she thought of the event.

 

“It reminds me of the mentality we had in the 60s and 70s, you know, getting back to the garden,” she mused. “Everybody wanted to make their own things — clothes, macramé, growing their own food, working with leather. Only people would do it in small groups. Nobody would have put an event together like this.”

 

Right on! A gold star from my mom! And she’s right on too. The event is organic. It’s educational. It’s loopy and it’s kooky, but most of all it’s fun. It’s a nerd’s paradise, no matter what kind of nerd you are.

 

As I listened to my mom speak, I looked inside my purse full of little handmade trinkets, some of which I made myself onsite. I felt so inspired.

 

“It’s the beginning of something,” she said. “I’m not sure what exactly. It feels like Circle Craft, deconstructed.”

 

Written by on July 4th, 2012


Lena Ross is a communications officer, writer, volunteer publicist and avid arts and culture enthusiast. When she's not out enjoying live music, inspiring art or locally designed fashion, she spends her spare time thrifting, sewing, promoting the arts, learning photography, and tinkering around on the interwebs.


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Posted in Vancouver Mini Maker Faire 2012, Volunteers |





A Volunteer’s First Maker Faire

What a magical place! My first time at Mini Maker Faire was the overwhelming array of sights, sounds and motions that I had hoped for. The Makerverse was a hustling, bustling assault of the senses.

 

As an early morning volunteer, I headed to the front gate to begin my shift, passing the beginnings of stalls I saw many things that intrigued me: weird shapes protruding, projections screens expanding, messes of criss-crossing wires and circuits, cables being gaffered to the ground and strange objects lifted from boxes.  I wanted to explore, but I knew I had to focus on helping out. I spent the morning volunteering at ticketing, where I saw kids buzzing with excitement; jumping, squirming and smiling ear to ear. It’s good to see that the Maker movement has captured the hearts of those so young.

 

Silver Dog Vancouver Mini Maker Faire

 

When my shift was over, I was finally able to round the door and see what awaited me. Things spun and clicked and rolled and danced before my eyes. There were glowing lights and the whir of a helicopter overhead! Scents emanated from the perfume booth. A long, low, echoing note surprised me from a horn made from a hat. Strings and sculptures dangled. Visual projections warped and altered. Flashes went off from the callotype booth. Here I was, surrounded by making. I felt immersed in the joy of creation and sharing, and I too started to buzz with inspiration. If you are heading to Mini Maker Faire today, here’s a sneak peek of what you can expect to find.

Written by on June 24th, 2012


Hannah Miller is an online content producer and transmedia storyteller. She likes to tell the quirky stories of everyday people and is into documenting with photography, video, audio, writing and zines. She takes photos with the kind of cameras that confuse people when she stops to wind on the film.


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Posted in Vancouver Mini Maker Faire 2012, Volunteers |





Maker Faire Volunteers Build Community at Car Free Day

Under Sunday’s cloudy sky with patches of sun, Vancouverites came out in droves to Main St. Car Free Day. There were a ton of things to see and try — and a zillion more to taste and buy — it was a veritable feast for the senses! I could hardly restrain myself.

 

Car Free Day is a fantastic time to get out and interact with the community, so of course, our Vancouver Mini Maker Faire (VMMF) volunteers were there with bells on.

 

Here’s the highlights:

 

Holding down the fort at the Maker Faire booth: Michel Kakulphimp, volunteer and UVic electrical engineering student, and Liisa Hanus, VMMF Volunteer Coordinator, keep it friendly and informative.

The incredible shrinking Mr. Tom Wynn, from The Hive Vancouver (a sustainability and creativity co-working space), poses with a VMMF art bike. Check out the Art Bike Project on Facebook.

Nate and Yum Yum from Daily Eggs (an urban chicken-coop-building company) strike it for the camera like professionals while educating the public.

Tien Wee, from Lucky Monkey Home, poses with his beautiful display of stunning jewelry and homemade, all-natural soy candles and mists. Mmmmm!

Mike Zeits and Ryan Paton show off another colourful tall bike to promote the Faire.

Yay! Robot heads!

Sophie Wyser at her lovely little Random Revival booth — making small spaces look pretty and inviting.

Lady Taiko drummers = Awesome.

And here’s what I took home: A totally awesome pair of teensy wood panel prints featuring Richie and Margot Tenenbaum, made with love by Kris G. Brownlee of A Cagey Bee (you can see them at the bottom left).

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Adored.

Best wishes for a Car Free Vancouver!

Written by on June 18th, 2012


Lena Ross is a communications officer, writer, volunteer publicist and avid arts and culture enthusiast. When she's not out enjoying live music, inspiring art or locally designed fashion, she spends her spare time thrifting, sewing, promoting the arts, learning photography, and tinkering around on the interwebs.


Posted in Art Bike Project, Events in Vancouver, Volunteers |





First Volunteer Meeting of 2012

These people had fun last year. This could be you!

Have you registered yet to volunteer at this year’s Vancouver Mini Maker Faire?

 

Yes? That’s great!

 

Still not sure? Want to talk to a real person before making a virtual commitment?

 

Registered or not, you’re invited to our Volunteer Meeting on Saturday May 12 from 3-5 pm at the W2 Media Cafe.

 

We’ll be talking about the volunteer opportunities available, both on Maker Faire weekend and in the weeks leading up to the Faire. (Art Bikes anyone? Yarnbombing?) We’ll talk about our new venue and what it means for the volunteers. We’ll answer your questions to the best of our abilities and hopefully provide a few laughs.

 

Sign In begins at 3 pm with the meeting starting at 3:15 pm and going until 4:30 or so.

 

We’ll be meeting in the basement Performance Space at W2. If you’ve never been to W2, its entrance is inside the atrium at the new Woodsward’s complex, next to London Drugs.

 

And if you’re on Facebook, head over to the event page to let us know you’re coming.

Written by on May 4th, 2012


liisa hannus is a photographer, teacher, writer, theatre rat, troubleshooter and people organizer. She is the Facilities & Logistics Coordinator for the 2013 Vancouver Mini Maker Faire.


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Posted in Vancouver Mini Maker Faire 2012, Volunteers |





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