The School of Art, Design and Architecture at the University of Huddersfield provides an ideas-led approach to creative risk-taking, exploration, questioning, entrepreneurship and collaboration in the pursuit of innovative and creative work. Students and staff have the opportunity to be part of an inspiring cross-disciplinary environment, benefitting from high-quality teaching and learning, with access to industry-leading facilities.

The Maker Library at the University of Huddersfield is in the Queen Street Studios alongside the Architecture and 3D courses. It offers workshops, collaborative learning experiences and ideas development, functioning as a hackspace and specialised electronics workshop, with a selection of associated books and key texts.

All students have the opportunity to attend practical workshops programmed in the space, focused on fostering collaborative thinking and providing them with the opportunity to engage with technologies and resources that they may not normally use as part of their curriculum.

The ambition is to have small satellite Maker Libraries in each of the technical resource areas including the embroidery studios, 3D print and rapid-prototyping workshops and digital print labs. These Maker Libraries will be coordinated across the School, but each will develop its own specialisms in relation to the specific resource area that they support.

Who is involved? 

Stephen Calcutt is the Technical Manager Coordinator for the School of Art, Design and Architecture at the University of Huddersfield. He gained his bachelor's degree in 2000, in Illustration with Animation at the Manchester Metropolitan University. Shortly after he graduated established a freelance design and illustration studio at www.dinosaurmuseum.com with Martin Greaves. In 2010, Stephen gained a master’s with Distinction in Media Arts, also at the Manchester Metropolitan University.

During his time at the University of Huddersfield, Stephen has taught on numerous courses including Graphic Design and Animation, Contemporary Arts, Illustration and Textiles. He also runs the National Saturday Art Club.  

His current practice focuses on the development of electronic and interactive art. He is particularly interested in audience engagement with telepresence and perceptions of space and environment. His work makes use of environmental conditions such as wind, sun and rain, as well as biological and organic objects (plants, flies and birds) to control and serve information to data driven artwork.