Makespace is a Year Old! Now… What Next?

This Saturday we had a fantastic time celebrating Makespace Oxford’s first birthday with many members of our networks and local community – and looking forward to another incredible year ahead!

In just a year we have become a working home to over 30 purpose-driven local businesses, organisations and individuals, and had frequent community events attracting  over 2,000 people through our doors.

Some highlights from our first year include:

  • Throwing a launch party and Christmas Fair, attended by many members of the local community and Oxford’s movers and shakers
  • a visit from BBC Oxford
  • Recording a Christmas album with a group of young carers
  • Remodelling the building with the interior architecture students of Oxford Brookes University
  • The official launch of Oxford Green Week
  • The annual Oxfordshire Community Foundation fundraising dinner
  • A visit from the Eden Project’s Big Walk
  • The launch of Tandem Festival
  • A series of thriving ‘repair cafes’
  • hosting a number of local residents and Makespace Oxford tenants as part of Oxfordshire Art Weeks

Makespace Oxford is about much more than just our current building in North Oxford. We are working with landlords to demonstrate the value in making properties available on a ‘meanwhile’ basis from nurturing small businesses to increasing social impact and supporting Oxfords thriving community of artists, makers and creators.

This September we are also welcoming fantastic new tenants to Makespace Oxford!

  • Doughnut Economics Action Lab
  • Children Heard and Seen,
  • Gareth Lloyd Art
  • Bethan Axford Art
  • And Share Oxford’s Library of Things has grown and been able to move to a bigger space inside our same building!

Kate Raworth, founder of the Doughnut Economics Action Lab, said: “We are delighted to be joining the Makespace community because it is home to many of Oxford’s most innovative organisations that are working for a more equitable and sustainable economy.”

 

We’re calling on landlords across the city to get in touch to see how we can help them make the most of their empty or underused properties on a short to medium term basis.