“Open Community Lab is is a community of experts in their field who offer an intervention to areas where there is a customer experience. Recent projects have included museum displays and the ambition is to also work with health sector and projects involving young people.
The community is composed of technologists, designers, marketers, historians, curators, programmers and project specialists. they are experienced in their fields and each event involves a different team make up ensuring innovative ideas and free thinking in high tech products or low tech craftwork.”Mar Dixon, Founder
I met the Founder of OCL, Mar Dixon, at the second Museomix UK event, held at the Silk Mill in Derby. She brought the MMUK over the channel after attending in Paris and being inspired to replicate it here. Mar is passionate about culture and heritage; Museomix as her vision brought together a unique mix of individuals from across the UK, and the ideals of group working for a common cause was furthered into the Open Community Lab.
OCL is a fairly loose community; people contribute as they are able to, and according to the events being created. The first event I attended I decided to sit back and be muscle, help out as and when required. it was a really amazing experience. I did everything from creating the space and setting up, through to flyering (including nearly being thrown out our event sponsor’s location, the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery), and helping with the final audience engagement assessment with some proof reading.
The group of facilitators who created and ran the event were pretty well established; most knew one another and what they did. It’s hard to know your niche in this situation, now I’ve got a much better idea of how I can fit my groove into the overall melody I’m really looking forward to the next instalment.
If you’re interested in finding out more the following links can help:
Beyond this OCL is better seen than described:
