Fluxus Cornwall brings generations together through invention and making

A £2,421 grant from the Business Club FundA sum of money made available for grant making, often with specific criteria/conditions. enabled Fluxus Cornwall CIC to expand their weekly Invention Club in Redruth, creating a space where people aged 15 to 86 could learn new skills and build confidence through creative making. The grant funded essential equipment including Arduino starter kits, Chromebook laptops, a 3D printer, a laser engraving machine, and materials for hands-on projectsA piece of work that delivers an output..

The club engaged six volunteers and directly benefited 35 people from across Redruth, Camborne, Truro and beyond. Participants worked together to create interactive amusements, automata and games, combining traditional skills like carpentry with modern technologies such as coding and electronics.

Having enough equipment meant people could work at their own pace without waiting to use tools. Many participants gained confidence and tried new skills for the first time, whilst others were able to contribute expertise they’d built up over decades. The club helped reduce isolation, particularly for those who rarely join local activities, creating a genuinely intergenerational space where older and younger people learned from each other.

The grant also supported an exhibition showcasing work created at the club. The event, attended by around 1,000 people, featured 30 different machines and automata by 19 makers ranging in age from 15 to 86. For many participants, this was their first time exhibiting work they’d made, providing both a meaningful deadline to work towards and a chance to share their creativity with the wider community.

One retired engineer with no coding experience came looking for something practical to do. Using the laptops and Arduino kits funded by the grant, he learned to program a sequence and create moving parts for a hot air balloon automata he’d imagined for years, complete with animated characters and sounds. He now attends regularly, has made new friends, contributes his engineering expertise to others’ projects, and has bought his first laptop to continue learning at home.

The club’s popularity has presented new challenges. Demand increased once the new equipment arrived, adding pressure on the small volunteer team and highlighting the need for a permanent, larger workshop space to accommodate more participants.

“Since coming to the Invention Club, I’ve learned skills I never thought I’d be able to master at my age. The exhibition gave me such a sense of achievement – seeing people’s faces light up when they interacted with what I’d made was wonderful.”

For more information about Fluxus Cornwall visit fluxuscornwall.co.uk

About the Funder

The Business Club Fund supports community projects across Cornwall. If you would like to find out more please visit our Business Giving page.

This is one of more than 12 Community Benefit Funds managed by Cornwall Community Foundation.

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