Holiday Hackshop 2009

Eyebeam’s annual, super-kitschy, fun-for-the-whole-family event is back! For one day and one day only, Eyebeam becomes an all-ages, multi-workshop electronic craft-making fair, with entertainment, decorations and plenty of holiday spirit. The workshops are artist-led, free (save for minimal material costs), and you’ll leave with gifts that will far surpass lopsided clay mugs of years past … All in all: A fun, thrifty, edutainment alternative to the trance- and occasionally rage-inducing department-store crawl.

This year’s hackshop will feature hot drinks and other crazy concoctions served up by No Standing Anytime and a special Eyebeam take on a nativity scene designed by our Student Residents, with support from Diana Eng. Our Pop-Up DJ booth will be in full effect, so bring your iPod loaded with your own special holiday playlist!

Stay for the ‘Hackshop after-party, featuring more delicious drinks, and a presentation from London based artists Manu Luksch & Mukul Patel. The duo will screen examples from and discuss in their publication AMBIENT INFORMATION SYSTEMS. Following the presentation, Mukul will spin some sweet tunes for us.

• SPACE for workshops is limited – Get here with enough time before to reserve your spot!
• The sprint with RjDj requires advance sign-up

Workshop Schedule:

Bright Bike 2.0 Workshop with Senior Fellow, Michael Mandiberg
Drop-in anytime
After the successful debut of the Bright Bike at last year’s Holiday Hackshop, the Bright Bike returns in an updated, easier to install, and all around snazzier look.  The Bright Bike takes retroreflective vinyl and makes your bike light up at night. It is so bright Treehugger.com calls it “obnoxiously bright ” which is a good way of saying “safe and visible.” Bring your bike, choose a precut Caterpillar or Pinstripe DIY Kit and have your bike 100 times safer in no time.
• Bring your bike!
• Materials costs: $20 (a $10 discount off the cost of a kit)

Sno Globe-O-Mania with Residents, Nora Ligorano and Marshall Reese
Session 1: 1PM–2PM
Session 2: 3PM–4PM
Session 3: 5PM–6PM
High tec meets Sno tec. Explore the magic of snow globe making with LigoranoReese as they take you on a fantastic virtual journey – up icy slopes,  and sno-capped mountain tops via Chelsea’s Eyebeam Hackshop. Come make your own winter wunderland, a great gift idea for Sno Globe fans.  Re cycle, re purpose your plastic tchozke,and with a little hot glue, some water,  sno and imagination you to can shake the world in you hands.
So BRING your small plastic stuff.
• Limit: 12 people
• 10 yrs. (with parent) and older.
• Materials cost: $5

Cardboard DJ with Eyebeam Staffer, Becky Heritage
Session 1: 1PM–3PM
Session 2: 4PM–6PM
Hackshop participants will get a chance to re-imagine the computer’s interface, and its limited expression, by creating an interactive DJ Station. Utilizing a hacked computer Keyboard and the Processing programming environment, participants will create their own custom switches for a DJ Station. Foil, foam, and wire will be used to fashion each DJ switch; and the custom interface, and aesthetic, of each station will be constructed from decorated cardboard. Sounds for each station will be chosen from Creative Commons Audio and other Open Source databases.
• Limit: 10 people
• 12 yrs. and older
• Materials cost: $15

Laser Cut Ornaments with Eyebeam Intern, Clara Jo
Session 1: 1PM–3PM
Session 2: 4PM–6PM
Make the holiday ornaments of your dreams with Eyebeam’s coveted laser cutter!  Learn how to translate your ideas into computer drawings, and let the laser cutter do the work for you–draw, send, and cut.  You’ll even get to go home with custom, original holiday ornament.   If you are Adobe Illustrator, Inkscape, or Corel Draw savvy, bring your prepared files with you along with a USB thumb drive.
• Limit: 10 people
• 10 yrs and older
• Materials cost: $5

Fun for all ages: Ornament Decoration and Card-Making
Drop-in Anytime
Pre-cut ornaments made from reclaimed cardboard are yours for the decorating. Glitter, paint, sequins, ribbons, doo-dads and more will be available in this workshop that is fun for anyone.
• No materials fee
• All ages!

RjDj Sprint!
Show-up early for maximal impact, drop-in anytime for fun
Members from RjDj will be in the house and introducing the RjDj platform. Interested people are invited to get hands-on and into hacking their own RjDj scenes. Want to get involved but don’t think you have the skillz? Check-out our workshop and skill-share on Dec. 5. Want to spend even more time with RjDj? Join us on Dec. 11 for their software release party!
Up to 20 people can drop-in, though to participate you should know your stuff!