The founder is Dr Lucy Rogers, a professional maker and engineer, and perhaps best known as a judge on BBC Robot Wars.

She wants to help drive the UK “maker movement” forward, using the new guild as a focal point.

Maker industry

Dr Rogers believes that in Britain people tend to underestimate the power of small, creative businesses that support jobs but also teach highly useful skills. In 2017, there were 5.7 million businesses in the UK. Of these, she says. 5.5 million, or 96%, of these were micro-businesses, employing just 0-9 people.

“I was looking to join a professional membership organisation for Makers but there wasn’t one – so I founded it myself. Cottage industries almost died with the industrial revolution, but they are now returning as the Maker industry, and it needs formal organisation.”

The venue is the Autodesk Technology (Centre Pier 9, Build Space, Advanced Manufacturing Facility). Speakers at the launch event include:

• Andy Stanford-Clark, CTO UK and Ireland, IBM,
• Pete Wood, Head Technology Evangelist, RS Components
• Rebecca Steiner, School of Jewellery, Birmingham City University

You can find the agenda for thre day, and more infomaiton about the gild at www.guildofmakers.org.

Tickets are avialable from webcollect.org.uk/guildofmakers.

On Craftsmanship

Sir Christopher Frayling, Former Rector of the Royal College of Art, and author of On Craftsmanship, said:

“These days, if you ask someone ‘what do you make?’, the reply will tend to be about money and bonuses. It’s becoming increasingly important – against the tide of digitisation, virtual experiences, quick-fix solutions, and suspicion of hard-won expertise – to celebrate the making of things, with care, with love and with a deep understanding of materials.

“This new Guild is a welcome initiative, bringing together Makers from various disciplines, raising their profile and providing them with visibility and a voice. ‘What do you make?’, ‘I make things…’”

Pictured above is the Maker Faire UK, which has over 300 exhibitors this year and expects to get 10,000 visitors (at the Life Science Centre in Newcastle 28 – 29 April 2018).