Inventors, entrepreneurs, and artists have become part of a growing movement across the country called The Maker Movement. One local non-profit wants to help ignite the creative spark in the Ozarks with a documentary showing this Saturday. KSMU’s Theresa Bettmann has about the movement and its possible benefits.
Have you ever had a great idea for an invention, but did not have any resources to bring it to life? Stacy Rust is co-chair of the non-profit group Dream It Make It, which she and her husband started last year to create a resource for just that problem.
“With Saturday’s showing we want to educate the community on what the Maker Movement is because a lot of people haven’t heard of it yet. Once you learn about it, it’s very inspiring and it’s really something that everyone can be involved with,” Rust says.
There are over 200 “maker spaces” throughout the United States and the world, Rust says. These spaces provide equipment, space, access to resources and an ability to collaborate with others. Rust shares that her and her husband wanted to create a maker space after becoming inspired by several others they had visited around the country.
Rust says while their organization is still in the funding and developing phase, they look forward to building community partners and growing the dream.
“We want to provide entrepreneurs with a way to start their own businesses at low costs. I know there are a lot of people in the community who would like to start their own business doing or making something, but they do not have the resources or money to get started,” says Rust.
Brian Kincaid is the director of the eFactory at Missouri State University. He calls the Maker Movement an “umbrella” for inventors, designers and hobbyists alike. Kincaid says there is a demonstrated demand for this type of collaboration model, and is encouraged by groups like Dream It Make It bringing the movement and opportunity to Springfield.
“Makers kind of tap into an American admiration for self-reliance. When you combine that with stuff like open-source learning, design and increasingly powerful and affordable personal technology like 3-D printers and other advanced tools, it creates a lot of opportunities for new product advancements and innovation,” Kincaid says.
Saturday’s film is called Maker: A Documentary on the Maker Movement, and will show at the Moxie Cinema. The event is free and open to the public but you must register as seats are limited. As of Thursday afternoon, one of the showings had already been booked. A second time has been reserved for noon Saturday.
Rust says information booths will be available both at the Moxie and at the Discovery Center downtown, and that movie-goers should arrive at least 30 minutes in advance.
