The Maker Faire is the Greatest Show (and Tell) on Earth; a free, all ages showcase of invention, creativity and resourcefulness; a celebration of the Maker movement; a vibrant gathering place for innovators, tech enthusiasts, educators, engineers, scientists, authors, artists, students, and exhibitors. The second annual Dublin Mini Maker Faire (DMMF) took place at Science Gallery and Trinity College Dublin: the ideal dissemination event for the VOICES outcomes in Ireland.

Highlights

Workshop: Discussing VOICES
A wall at the Maker Faire allowed visitors to submit their own barriers and concerns or ideas for solving urban waste problems and have a look at information collected from the Dublin VOICES focus group. There was also a space where visitors could ""fund"" the top ideas generated through the VOICES focus groups for dealing with urban waste problems.

Workshop: Trash to Cash
Visitors had a chance to try their hand at up-cycling waste objects turning their unwanted materials into something useful, highlighting how many materials can be reused – something at the core of the “Zero Waste society” discussed in VOICES focus groups. Visitors turned cardboard into a speaker for their smart phone, turned old clothing into cool accessories and drink cups into a funky light-fixture.

Workshop: Micro Farm
Highlighting Urban Farm’s sustainable growing methods, Andrew Douglas built a mobile micro smart farm. Combining smart technologies & open source design the Smart Farm showcased low energy LED lighting, tweeting fish & plants combined with remote live monitoring all powered by renewable energies.

Workshop: Tape Scrape
Tape Scrape was an interactive exhibit consisting of a pair of oversized dj “turntables” and mixer, whose “needles” are repurposed playback-heads from cassette walkmans, on which visitors “scratched” using giant records made from the tape from old cassettes, as well as magnetic strips from old ATM cards, floppy discs and other magnetically recorded media. Visitors brought along old, unwanted cassettes to make into more “scratch records” too.
   
Workshop: Make and Take
The Institute of Physics presented a range of scientific equipment that can be made from regularly available items, and invited visitors to come along and try their hand. They also launched paper rockets across Trinity College’s cricket pitch!"