What is the DHMakerBus?

Like all complicated plans, the DHMakerBus started as a simple idea: grad students looking to save some money by driving to the DH2013 conference in Lincoln, Nebraska.

At its core the DHMakerBus continues to be a simple idea, albeit one that has diverged slightly from its origins. In Stage One, the bus will act as transportation for 12-14 people to get from London, Ontario to Lincoln. Stage Two will see us returning to London and revamping the bus to act as a mobile maker space. The DHMakerBus will provide an accessible space for all Londoners to learn, share, make, and discover. By contributing to this campaign, you are helping to make this idea a reality.

What's our plan?

Let’s talk about what we have planned for DHMakerBus. The first stage of our plan will involve raising funds for the bus, that’s where you come in. Once we’ve raised the funds, we will take the bus from London to Lincoln, Nebraska on a trip to DH2013. Along the way we are going to pick up a number of hackers, makers, and digital humanities scholars, turning the bus into equal parts roadtrip and hacking jam. During the 30 hour round trip, we are going to compete to finish various projects (both digital and physical), live-streaming the entire process. While we are at the DH2013 conference we will host regular podcasts and live-shows with some of the world’s foremost digital humanities scholars.

Once we return to London, the fun really starts. Through our partnership with UnLondon we seek to bring positive change to the London community. Part of UnLondon’s core is purpose is to “make change in and around the city of London from outside the normal confines of change making, using unconventional methods.” We feel it’s safe to say that a bus filled with technology and staffed by passionate volunteers that travels to schools, libraries, and backyards engaging Londoners in hacking and making is a fairly “unconventional method.”

Where is my money going?

The largest single expense at the start of this project will be buying a used bus. Approximately one-third of the money raised through this campaign will go toward this purchase. The rest of the money will go toward insuring the bus, paying a driver or two, and outfitting the space with some of the necessary equipment needed for a mobile maker space.

Our trip to DH2013 will be partially financed by the people attending the conference. The trip will represent our soft launch, raising awareness of the DHMakerBus and showing what it can be used to accomplish. We will be inviting the DH community in Nebraska to come aboard and share the creative process with us, providing ideas and inspiration for our project upon return.

Once we get back from DH2013, we will continue raising money in the London community to help complete the mobile maker/hacker lab. Our goal is to have the mobile lab up and running by January 2014.

What your support means

Why should you support DHMakerBus? We believe in making London the best possible place to live, work, and raise a family. By supporting DHMakerBus you are supporting access to free technology and education, giving people the ability to learn, share, and build. When we talk about helping all Londoners access technology and education, we mean it. We will drive the DHMakerBus into your backyard if it will help you.

Both the making community and digital humanists believe in improving access to technology and education to all. The goal of the DHMakerBus is to bring access to Londoners, wherever they may be. Through your contributions, no matter how big or small, you are helping this simple idea become a real part of our community.

Make a difference- #getonthebus