Derby Silk Mill, UK
Derby Museums placed participation at the heart of itsproject to redevelop the Silk Mill, considered to be the site of the world’s firstfactory. Re:Make the Museum invited audiences to become co-producers andMakers, co-designing and manufacturing fixtures and fittings onsite to makea prototype Museum of Making. Through co-production and human-centreddesign thinking approaches over a 10-month period, people were activelyinvolved in conceptualising, designing and making furniture, object displaysand fittings for the Silk Mill ground floor prototype Museum of Making. Theyused fully-fitted workshops and contributed thousands of volunteer hours.Participants worked with the staff team and Makers-in-Residence architects,product designers and artists. This was an open process that also formed thepublic programme for visitors.