Culture

Middla is run as a makerspace. What makes this different to just being a room full of equipment? The people and the culture we create together.

Maker culture emphasises learning-by-doing, experimentation and discovery, cross-disciplinary creativity and the social aspect of DIT (do it together). Playfulness is encouraged as is sustainability, for example through repair, visible mending, remaking and up-cycling.

Some of the ways we build that culture at Middla are:

Practice the Swedish art of Lagom - when using material we take as much as we need while leaving for the next person. We choose the most suitable materials for our needs, in consultation with others if needed, and we use them mindfully, for example not cutting from the center of a fresh piece of material unnecessarily.

Practice the Irish art of Fáilte - everyone at MID is welcome at Middla, we say hello and goodbye to each other as we enter and leave the space, even those we don't really know. We are an explicitly inclusive space with a feminist ethos. We leave the place ready for the next person to start working straight away, by returning tools and clearing work surfaces. Remember, you are a part of someone else's experience.

Practice the African-American art of Each one, teach one - we do not gate-keep or hoard knowledge, we share it generously and pass it along to our peers. We don't judge blank spots in one another's experience but instead see it as a joyous occasion to introduce them to something new.

Practice the universal art of Labelling - unmarked items left around become the property of Middla. Storage is at your own risk, read more on storage here. When 3D printing, use the provided tags as instructed on the 3D printing page. If you move something temporarily outside the space, leave a post-it note where that item usually is with your contact info, estimated return time, etc. Talk to your studio manager about overnight/multi-day loans.

You make Middla, come and hang out, play games, play music, build ridiculous things, and encourage each other to do the same.