Mad Lab, in Manchester: for a digital-tech space, there's a lot of human life
A lovely example of a creative space opening up to the wider community. MadLab, in Manchester, is officially described as a "not-for-profit grassroots digital innovation organisation". The building, as the about page tells us, is a converted weavers' cottage from the 19th century (see below ).
There are public classes in various kinds of code going on in their events page - Drupal, Javascript, Go, Scala, Android. But delightfully, their space - available for hire - also hosts a range of crafts, causes and practices, which give it a real civic and carnival energy. These include:
Tuesday 13 March 2018 Manchester Jewellers Network
Wednesday 14 March 2018 Rethink Mental Illness Manchester Group
Tuesday 20 March 2018 Effective Altruism
Wednesday 21 March 2018 Manchester Werewolf Chapter
Wednesday 28 March 2018 Etsy Manchester
Tuesday 03 April 2018 Scientific Self Improvement
Wednesday 11 April 2018
Tuesday 17 April 2018 Manchester SciFi Book Club
We like the "lab" metaphor in general - a space which encourages disciplined experimentation - though we are asking around to see whether it puts off as many people as it attracts (here's the archive to a great Nesta newsletter on the proliferation of social lab forms around the world).
But the playful, caring humanity that evidently courses through the MadLab gives us encouragement that it's the right concept to explore.