Matty the bus starts the first make-a-thek journey
Press Release make-a-thek
Matty the bus starts the first make-a-thek journey
Berlin, May 2026 – Sewing machines, repair tools, biomaterials, looms, textiles, and mobile workshop kits are packed: from 30 May to 13 June 2026, the travelling makerspace will stop in libraries, public squares and community spaces across Germany, Czechia, and Poland to host activities around circular fashion, repair, crafts, and digital making.
The route connects Berlin with Werder, Bad Belzig, Görlitz, Teplice, Litoměřice, Vrchlabí, Łódź, and Poznań. Each stop is organised together with local partners and shaped by the surrounding community — from public repair sessions and textile workshops to conversations about local production, resource sharing, and creative reuse.
In Germany, the tour includes community events in Bad Belzig (31. Mai) and Görlitz (2. Juni), where visitors are invited to experiment with collaborative making and visible repair practices in public space. Further along the route, the team meets regional initiatives working between craft, culture, and sustainable production.
In Czechia, Matty joins activities with Teplice Regional Library and SWAP Teplice (3.–4. Juni) , combining repair culture with technologies such as 3D printing. At Maker Faire Vrchlabí (6.–7. Juni), the programme expands into biomaterials, weaving experiments, and discussions about the role of makerspaces in regional innovation ecosystems.
The Polish part of the trip brings the bus to Łódź (9.–11. Juni), a city historically shaped by the textile industry. Exchanges with local organisations and visits connected to textile heritage open conversations about how historical knowledge and contemporary circular practices can inform one another.
Instead of presenting a finished concept, the tour works as an open process: workshops, encounters, and informal discussions all become part of a growing collection of ideas for how libraries and community spaces can support accessible, local, and sustainable making practices.
The make-a-thek project develops modular makerspace formats for public libraries with a focus on textiles, crafts, and circular design. By combining heritage knowledge with open-source tools and collaborative learning methods, the initiative explores how public infrastructure can support creative participation and ecological transition.
The current route marks the first chapter of a wider journey planned for 2026, with upcoming bus tours through the Baltic States as well as Northern Spain and Portugal later this year.
Follow the journey on YouTube, Instagram and LinkedIn for updates, videos, and impressions from the road.
More information: makeathek.eu / bustour#1Instagram: @makeathekLinkedIn: @make-a-thekContact: geraldine@globalinnovationgathering.org / www.makeathek.eu/#contact