Mill City Skill Share

Held annually, Mill City Skill Share is a day of entirely free community-led workshops held in Lowell, Massachusetts which actually predates the founding of our Makerspace. The event originated as a means to barter knowledge of a skill, rather than trade for their use. Each instructor offers their time and understanding of a particular skill through hands-on workshops or live demonstrations. In turn, each can benefit from the time devoted to sharing the year’s collective skillset by fellow instructors.

Lowell Makes began hosting Skill Share in 2017 and over the time since it has grown to be an incredibly meaningful and rewarding experience for our members involved each year.  Skill Share remains, and will always be, open to the public with no cost to attend; you do not need to be a member of Lowell Makes to fully participate, hold a live demonstration, or teach a hands-on workshop at the event.

If you would like to propose a Skill Share Session or are interested in Volunteering at the event, below you will find buttons linking to their relevant form under this year’s event header. We look forward to hearing from you.

For 2024 Lowell Makes Presents:
12th Annual Mill City Skill Share

Saturday May 18th
11a-5p, Rain or Shine

Keep an eye on this page in April for Mill City Skill Share 2024’s poster and volunteer shirt designs, plus the event schedule and pamphlet soon to follow. If you have access to basecamp there is a new camp for planning this year’s event which gets regular progress updates you might find useful.

Deadline: 11:59pm EST, April 20th
Acceptances Sent Out by April 27th

Application Has No True Deadline
Please Submit by Proposal Cutoff

As with last year, while free to attend Skill Share is a Ticketed Event.

At the start of April this year’s ticket reservation form, similar to the one used for 2023’s Skill Share. A portion of our event capacity will again be used for tickets given to walk-ins and visitors from Western Ave Studios.

Reservation holders may arrive 30min before the first sessions start.

Any reserved tickets left unclaimed at the start of intermission will become available on a first come first serve walk-up only basis as was also done last year. Please do not reserve tickets you are not yet sure you need; if that number does actually increase, submit a second form for the additional number needed, not the new total. Just the same, if you later come to need less than reserve please reach and inform us of the adjustment needed.

This year’s event is in part grant funded; we once again express our sincere gratitude to the Massachusetts Cultural Council whose continued support via their Festivals & Projects Program will provide over half the budget for Mill City Skill Share 2024.

Skill Share Archives

2023 Mill City Skill Share:
Event Held Sunday, April 2

The Mill City Skill Share in 2023 was on April 2 from 10:30 am – 4:30 pm. It was funded by grants from the Lowell Cultural Council and the Massachusetts Cultural Council both of whom we give our thanks.

View or Download 2023 Event Schedule:

2022 Mill City Skill Share: Event Held Saturday, May 21

This was an in-person event. There was no cost to attend or teach.

View or Download Event Pamplet

2021

The 2021 Mill City Skill Share was a hybrid (combination virtual and in-person event). Sessions included:

2020

On May 2 2020, our Mill City Skill Share was a virtual event due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We livestreamed for 5 hours and hosted 10 sessions. The result was our highest turnout ever, with close to 900 attendees throughout the day.

Original Facebook event

Click each session for a video recording:

11:00 – 11:30 AM | Kite Making with Glenn Davison

11:30 – 12:00 PM Relationship Marketing: Creating a Habit of Gratitude with Dot Richards

12:00 – 12:30 PM | Crocheting 101 with Paulina Migalska

12:30 – 1:00 PM | How to be a LLAMA: Participating in Mutual Aid

1:00 – 1:30 PM | Mozzarella Cheese Pulling with Beth Falk of Mill City Cheesemongers

1:30 – 2:00 PM | What is a Lapidarist? with Jim Pecora

2:00 – 2:30 PM | How to Make a Dog Bandana with Amy Wilson

2:30 – 3:00 PM | Kitchen Knife Skills with Ben Brown

3:00 – 3:30 PM | Selling or buying your first home during COVID-19 with Mindy Dopler Nelson

3:30 – 4:00 PM | DIY Book Making: Make your own notebook with Resi Ibañez

2019

Original Facebook event

Schedule of Live Events:

10am – 11am
Molding & Casting Pewter / Classroom / Bob Gampert
Jam Jar Candles / Electronics Area / Amy Wilson
How to Make a Cheese Plate / Kitchen / Beth Falk of Mill City Cheesemongers

10am – Noon
Sewing Basics: remake a man’s shirt into a summer top / Downstairs Workspace / Susan Ellis

11am – Noon
Black Holes / Conference Room / Ben Brown
Learn to Crochet / Downstairs Lounge / Billy Heath
Make your own “IKEA” furniture / Woodshop / Jon Goplerud of Drip Edge Furniture and Caroline Read

Noon – 1pm
Astrophotography / Classroom / Frank Masciulli
Homemade Bread and Yogurt / Kitchen / Rob Watson
Respirator use for crafting/workshops / Electronics Area / Bob Naylor
Making a mess with Epoxy! / Downstairs Workspace / Brad Powers

1pm – 2pm
Backpacking Gear Shakedown / Classroom / Sam Burdett
Learn to Crochet / Conference Room / Michelle Jerry of The Emerald Stitch
Copper Trees / Electronics Area / Derek Karalekas of @NorthEastBirch
Basic Bike repairs for Women/Trans/Femme people / Downstairs Workspace / Jess Schumann

2pm – 3pm
Weighted Blankets for Sensory Regulation / Downstairs Workspace / Allison Rugg

2pm – 4pm
Learn to play Dungeons and Dragons / Classroom / Brad Powers
Cold Process Soapmaking / Kitchen / Michele Albert