Our last gathering was the Welcoming Differences final event that was held in Amsterdam and streamed online. Never has a consortium and network of labs been so sad to see the end of a project, however there was a definite sense that this would not be the last time we work together nor represent the end of shemakes activities as such. Labs, in particular, have been very enthusiastic about skills learned and workshops developed through the project and almost all said, in our video interviews, they intend to continue with these activities.
From its inception, the project has always been structured to ensure continuation of the exceptional network we’ve developed over the two-year project. Shemakes began from a blend of TCBL and Fabricademy, and it has always been natural to consider them the main vehicles to carry the shemakes network and results into the future. What does this look like in practice?
First and foremost we want to point out that the Learning section of this website and the Open Toolkit are essential repositories where all our activities are documented and available for replication. The toolkit resides on GitHub and will be updated by a group of shemakes partners who will ensure its proper maintenance.
Second, we really don’t want to lose touch! We’ve developed an impressive network of labs who all share the shemakes vision, way of working, and a sense of community and mutual support. So we consider them pre-approved as members of the non-profit TCBL Association, which is equally value-based. Labs will be formally invited to join TCBL and listed on the website (with a shemakes “badge” of course!). TCBL will also take care of organizing a series of events under the umbrella of the “Shemakes Club”. These events will continue to address gender issues in the T&C industry and to encourage networking and network expansion amongst like-minded labs, companies and the people behind them.
So we don’t have to tell you where to go to keep in touch, do we? Follow @TCBL Association on the various social networks and we also suggest you sign up for the TCBL Newsletter (with our promise never to spam you). Bookmark the Shemakes Club page for the upcoming calendar of events and future reflections and opportunities.
