KOCHI:
The Kochi Design Week (KDW) next month is set to host alongside the three-day event a Maker Fest 2019 that will see the country’s largest congregation of youngsters with an innovative mind.
The December 12-14 KDW at Bolgatty Palace here will feature the Maker Fest on the last day, as the Indian continuation of Maker Faire held in the US. The Fest here brings together makers, innovators, technologists, enthusiasts and artists from different parts of the country. Besides workshops, it will showcase their collaborations and share the delegates’ ideas, projects, products and activities.
Maker Fest, which Kerala held for the first time in November last year, is organised Motwani Jadeja Foundation as an entrepreneur-empowering organisation. The aim has been to bring in makers, mostly youngsters, to build sustainable products that can make a social impact. The event gains particular focus in Kerala, given that the southern state has the largest number of maker spaces, fablab and atal tinkering labs in the country.
M Sivasankar, Secretary (IT), Government of Kerala, said the Maker Fest will encourage the fablabs and atal labs in Kerala where found in the highest numbers anywhere in the country. KDW Special Officer Arun Balachandran, who is Chief Minister’s Fellow (IT), noted that the Maker Fest seeks to nurture a maker culture in the new generation.
The December 14 event will hold exhibition of projects, products and installation by makers, innovators artists and school students. There will be also workshops and live performances such drone-flying, cosplay and setting up of popup houses.
Innovators, artists and school students who wish to showcase their projects, artwork and ideas at event can sign up at makerfestkerala.com. The selected participants will get an opportunity to win prizes and showcase their products at the Maker Fest. Email: makerfestkerala@gmail.com.
The December 12-14 KDW is being organised by the Kerala government’s Department of Information Technology in association with Asset Foundation. Eyeing long-term development, it features discussions on the global trends in design and architecture so as to employ them in the state’s sustained efforts to rebuild infrastructure.
