Q. What is Virtually Maker Faire?
Virtually Maker Faire is a 24-hour online event, consisting of online video sessions and a curated collection of maker projects, many of which were developed in response to Covid-19. LIke any Maker Faire, it is a showcase of what people are doing right now, what they are interested in, and what they want to share with others. We are proud to feature the many efforts of makers in their community, what we’ve called a civic response to the pandemic.
Through an open Call for Makers, we have makers representing 25 countries who will share over 350 presentations, demonstrations, and online project exhibits. Our online sessions will take place across Asia, Europe and the Americas. They will be organized in five tracks:
- Design & Production
- Community Organizing
- Making
- Learning & Teaching
- Re-Thinking the Future
Because everything is online, and not in one place, you might find it a challenge to find what you are looking for. This guide attempts to help you.
The best thing about Virtually Maker Faire is that you can enjoy it from virtually anywhere.
Q. When does Virtually Maker Faire start?
Virtually Maker Faire begins in Asia on Saturday in their time zone. In California, the official kickoff is 7pm PDT with the EepyBird session. To find the times for your location:.
If you go to the Schedule page:
- Set the Timezone for your location. It is set to Pacific Daylight Time by default. You’ll find box in the upper right corner.
Sessions will move to Europe for on Saturday morning and afternoon and then begin in the time zones for the Americas, ending around 7pm on Saturday night Pacific Daylight Time. The closing session is a performance by Arc Attack at 6:00pm PDT on Saturday.
Q. How do I participate?
Start at Makerfaire.com is the quick answer. There you will find links to our schedule, the showcase of project exhibits at MakeProjects.com, and the Meet the Makers area where you can see makers as a picture gallery.
Here’s another easy way to sample Virtually Maker Faire live without having to choose sessions. Visit one of our channels where we are livestreaming a selection of sessions all day long.
Go to these YouTube channels:
Make: YouTube Channel for mostly COVID-19 related talks.
Maker Faire YouTube Channel for a wide variety of sessions
You can also go to Facebook for a livestream:
Maker Faire Facebook Page
Q. How do I attend a scheduled session?
View the schedule listings on MakerFaire.com. If you begin scrolling down, your first reaction might be – Wow! There are lots of sessions and lots to choose from. That’s right. There are over 200 sessions.
Here is one listing for the Made in China session. The Made in China session will take place on Friday midnight in California but it will be the middle of Saturday afternoon in China
You can click on Quick View to get a pop-up window with a short description, which also contains a link to the full session. On the right are two buttons you can use to attend the session. The two blue links on the right are used to join the session.
Register Here is a link to a registration page in Zoom or other platform. The link will allow you to register by name and email, Then you will get a link to join the LIVE video session. Registration is necessary because we don’t publish the direct link to the session for security purposes. Note that we don’t control the registration for all sessions and there’s currently no way to register for all sessions. Registering allows you to interact more easily with the hosts and other attendees.
Watch LIve is a direct link to the a livestream for the session on YouTube or other service.
You’ll be taken directly there without registration for the session. If the YouTube livestream session hasn’t started, you will see a notification. If the session has already taken place, you should see an archived version of the session, which was recorded earlier.
There are ways to see sessions that might match your interests:
- Use the search bar to find sessions by a title or the name of the maker. You can also filter the listings by topic, by type, by track, and by region.
You can also download or print a calendar.
Most sessions will be available as archived video for you to enjoy at a later date.
Q. How can I find workshops or demos?
Workshops and demos are on the schedule as well. On the schedule page, use the filter “By Type” to choose Workshop or Demonstation to create a view of only those sessions.
Q. Where can I find project exhibits?
All project exhibits that we selected through our Call for Makers can be found on MakeProjects.com at the following link:
Virtually Maker Faire Project Exhibits
Scroll to look through the collection. These are online exhibits, which are a bit like a science fair poster meant to tell you about the project.
Choose a project to see more about it and the maker or team of makers behind it. Each project entry looks something like this:
Many projects have videos that show the project in more detail. The entries also explain What the project is, Why the project is valuable or important and what Challenges the maker encountered in doing the project.
Providing feedback to makers is really valuable. The Thumbs-Up button is in the left-hand column. Use it for your favorite projects.
- Leave a comment to provide feedback for the maker on their project or ask a question. You can also share the project via social media.
We have over a 100 projects submitted to the collection.
Q. What are some of the program highlights?
- Gui Cavalcanti, founder and co-ceo of Open Source Medical Supplies, will talk about the role of Open Source in the pandemic and how their group documented the global fabrication of over 7 million units of personal protective equipment, medical and community supplies. Session information.
- Josef Prusa of Prusa Research, a company in Prague that develops 3D printers, will talk about the importance of 3D printing in creating PPE in response to COVID-19. Prusa designed the Prusa Face Shield, one of the first designs to be widely replicated on 3D printers around the world. Session information.
- From Italy, hear from TechForCare: an open-source support platform created for the pandemic, jointly developed by I-RIM (Institute for Robotics and Intelligent Machines) and Maker Faire Rome – The European Edition. Session information.
- Sarah Miller of Artisan’s Asylum shows how they are making isolation gowns for Boston-area hospitals. This is a HOW-TO session meant to help other makerspaces apply the same designs and processes as those used at Artisan’s Asylum. Session information.
- Make: magazine Executive Editor Mike Senese interviews creators from Make:’s latest issue featuring “DIY Heros” and their response as Makers to COVID-19 in their community.
- VentilatorProject.Org, a group of volunteer community members, refurbished sleep apnea (CPAP) and BiPAP machines as a critical strategy solution for hospitals treating patients affected by COVID-19. Session information.
- Learn how makers in China are working together to fight COVID-19. Organized by x.factory, a makerspace in Shenzhen, China. Session information.
- Tanzania’s Dar Es Salaam Institute of Technology will present how they created an organic network of organizations who had access to 3D printers and worked together to produce PPE. Session information.
- Colorado’s Maker Response team will share how to set up a distributed network in your community. Session information.
- Hear from makers in Spain and learn how they overcame supply chain challenges. Session Information.
- Young Maker Ryan Levy shows how to make Arduino smart glasses with a temperature sensor. Session Information.
- Makers in Germany will be looking to the future, discussing how makers can structure and prepare for similar crises. Session information.
Q. Can I follow Virtually Maker Faire on social media?
Yes, Here are the official accounts for Maker Faire and Make:
- Facebook: Maker Faire
- Twitter: Maker Faire (@makerfaire)
- Instagram: @makerfaire
- Facebook: Make: Magazine – Home
- Twitter: Make: (@make)
- Instagram: Make: (@makemagazine)
Please share your experiences of Virtually Maker Faire on social media.
- Use #maketogether or #vmf2020 to find posts about Virtually Maker Faire on
One suggestion is to take a screenshot of a session that you like and share it.
Q. Who is organizing Virtually Maker Faire?
Make: Community is the producer of Virtually Maker Faire. Through Make: magazine and Maker Faire, we have been a catalyst for the global maker movement that is transforming the ways we learn, earn, and live in the 21st century. Our mission is to share the know-how of makers and showcase their projects online, in print, and through live events such as Maker Faire. Improving collaboration on projects will expand the capabilities of what people can produce and what problems they can solve. Join us at make.co.
Q. Is Maker Faire really going to work online?
Yes, we hope so? Virtually Maker Faire is an experiment, and none of us have done this before. Like all of us, we have to make the best of what the current situation is. We wanted to do the best that we can to bring the global community of makers together and let them tell their own story. Technology can be used to build community across many geographies as well as in our local community. We hope that Virtually Maker Faire inspire everyone to become makers and work for the betterment of all. We hope you find Virtually Maker Faire a most enjoyable and meaningful experience. More than ever, we need to experience the optimism, ingenuity and generosity that Maker Faire brings out of all of us.
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