New director appointed for Blackburn’s Making Rooms

The person appointed to lead Blackburn’s Making Rooms facility played a pivotal role in bringing the phenomenon of the Fab Lab to the UK.

Dr Eddie Kirkby, who has a PHD in optical fibre communication, will take the reins at the town centre technology hub in February.

The three-storey building is due to be open in early summer and will be a hub for creative, artistic, digital and technological innovation.

It is being funded by Arts Council England, Blackburn with Darwen Council and the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership.

As well as artist studios, flexible workspaces, a café, exhibition space and areas for workshops, it will house a Fab Lab where entrepreneurs can produce new products using state of the art machinery.

Fab Labs are places where entrepreneurs, makers and the public can use advanced digital manufacturing equipment which can include 3D printers, laser cutters and CNC machines at a little or no cost.

Dr Kirkby is currently the Charity Operations Manager at the Manchester-based Manufacturing Institute that introduced the Fab Labs to Britain from the US, where the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T) first pioneered the idea.

He then helped set up the two Fab Labs in Manchester and Ellesmere Port and grew the network across the country where he helped train staff, install equipment and provided advice on issues like raising funding.

There are currently 17 around the UK with another six due to be opened in 2016 including one in Altrincham.

It’s extremely exciting to have been part of this movement from the beginning,

said Dr Kirkby.

The rate at which interest in Fab Labs have grown has been amazing and the interest in them, from all walks of life, has been astounding.

People have been making things down in the garden shed for years and years but this is the first time manufacturing quality machinery has been put in the hands of the public. It’s not just a hammer and nails but the ability to do professional design and product development for little or no charge.

Dr Kirkby, who has a background in engineering, product design and injection moulding says he believes part of the success of the Fab Labs has been the growing popularity of 3D printing and the ability to make things out of plastic.

It’s being able to make your own plastic products which is quite revolutionary.  In fact the whole thing has been quite a revolution and really brought making to the forefront, he added.

Councillor Andy Kay, executive member for resources for Blackburn with Darwen Council, said:

We are absolutely delighted to have someone of Dr Kirkby’s calibre leading this exciting project, which we believe will offer limitless opportunities to our young people, entrepreneurs and everybody with creative talent to develop their ideas and to learn new skills.

The Making Rooms is key to our regeneration plans for our towns and town centre which include schemes like the Cathedral Quarter and the new leisure centre that will see it completely transformed  over the next couple of years.