Community: fizzPOP
fizzPOP is a Birmingham based hackerspace. Formed in 2009, fizzPOP provides an infrastructure that allows people with a wide range of skills and interests to come together and open up the technology around them to explore it’s inner workings.
We understand that there can be a bit of confusion about the term ‘hacker’ – Hacking can mean anything from writing code for devices, wiring up electronics, and even reconfiguring toys! We are seeking to reclaim the meaning of the word hacker, to refer to someone that explores how things work and reconfigures their functions, rather than the Hollywood association with someone who steals passwords!
fizzPOP offers regular meeting (known as hack sessions), every fortnight. The meetings are held at “The Edge” in Digbeth, where we get together and hack on whatever projects take our fancy. If you would like to attend a meeting but don’t have a particular project in mind, don’t worry! Just come along and gain inspiration from others.
As well as the usual free-for-all hack sessions we also hold one-off events. Our first major event was the fizzPOP Howduio in November 2009. It saw participants explore using the increasingly popular Arduino microcontroller platform at a both beginner and advanced levels.
In March 2010 we had the pleasure of being visited by Mitch Altman, creator of TV B Gone, and one of the founders of the Noisebridge hackerspace based in San Francisco. He led a workshop where participants of all ages learnt the joys of microcontrollers.
If you have an idea for a workshop or event of your own, we want to hear about it! In April, local artist and musician Sam Underwood curated Theremin Day, which was day of workshops and performances based around the Theremin instrument. Participants got to make their very own Theremin and in the evening we had performances of the noisy kind from local creators and from world-renowned Theremin player Susi O’Neill
So how do you get involved? There is no formal membership process, just turn up to one of the hack sessions and introduce yourself to everyone else by getting onto the discussion list. You can also reach us via our Facebook and Twitter pages.
