Open Shed was a hackerspace in Penzance, Cornwall. Founded in 2012[1] (closed May 2014 [2]) it provided space for people working in the tech community to meet and work, workshops for electronics and light engineering projects, bike kitchen, events space, and an informal café. Run as a social enterprise, many of its members were self-employed.[3]

Presentation during the Raspberry Jam event at Open Shed Penzance

Description

edit

Open Shed's 200m2 rented premises were situated in central Penzance, next to the Savoy Cinema on the busy shopping street, Causewayhead.[4] Occupying the whole of the ground floor of Champions Yard, with a small space on the first floor, facilities include an electronics workshop, coworking space, café, bike kitchen, quiet space, large events room with projection facilities, equipment stores, and a small workshop. It encouraged knowledge exchange and collaboration between its members, who included programmers, web developers, electronic engineers, digital artists, practitioners from the digital humanities, bicycle mechanics, and other tech related fields. Open Shed provided physical space and facilities to encourage activities from these areas: "We're all about empowering people to take control of the technology which surrounds us all."[5]

The first event at Open Shed, a Raspberry Jam, was held on 15 August 2012.[6] Using the Open Shed events room for the first time since opening, the Raspberry Jam explored the Raspberry Pi computer and its many uses through talks, demonstrations, with hands-on time. It was attended by 36 people.[7]

References

edit
  1. ^ "Companies House WebCHeck". Companies House. Retrieved 26 August 2012.
  2. ^ "Tweet from the official twitter account". Retrieved 16 February 2015.
  3. ^ Cherie, Woodhouse. "Hungry for PC know-how? Get a slice of Raspberry Pi". The Cornishman. Retrieved 26 August 2012.
  4. ^ "Find Us". Open Shed Ltd. Retrieved 26 August 2012.
  5. ^ "Open Shed - a new hackspace for West Cornwall". Retrieved 26 August 2012.
  6. ^ "Our first event - Raspberry Jam in Penzance". Open Shed. Retrieved 26 August 2012.
  7. ^ Monks, David. "Open Shed list mini-update". Retrieved 26 August 2012.
edit

50°7′9.7″N 5°32′18.61″W / 50.119361°N 5.5385028°W / 50.119361; -5.5385028