Corinna Burkhart

In my PhD research project I focus on open workshops/makerspaces. Open workshops are places with a productive infrastructure, which is accessible to individuals who want to do crafts, art, hacking, tinkering or other making. They appear mainly in urban settings and can be equipped in various ways, including bike repair workshops, wood workshops, printing facilities, 3D-printers, laser cutters etc. My focus regarding such workshops is on the opportunities they offer for people to find life paths directed by other goals than those coming from an apparent need for ever continuing economic growth. What interests me is how, in a context of a society increasingly dominated by economic forces, such spaces offer alternative visions and a freedom to do things differently. Taking a broader perspective, I focus on how such spaces can contribute to social transformation.