Making it as a creative is tough virtually everywhere you go, but especially so in a pricey ski town that has always seemed to emphasize brawn over brains and sports over arts.
Enter The Wonder Lab, a new community innovation hub and learning centre at the Whistler Public Library. Offering free access to resources including video production, audio recording, editing software, and digitization tools, The Wonder Lab aims to nurture your inner creative and tech geek. There is a green screen for video and photo shoots; a sound booth for audio-based projects; a “Digitization Station” to convert analog media into digital formats; and even a “Creation Station” where you can find technology to help create and publish books, digital magazines, e-books and posters, mix and edit audio, and put the finishing touches on photography and film projects in post-production, and more.
The space also includes learning kits encouraging “creativity, exploration, experimentation, and discovery through hands-on learning and play,” a municipal release Tuesday, May 2 said.
“Whistler is a creative community, and the Wonder Lab is a unique tool to help promote and enhance access to the technology needed to support learning. I look forward to seeing the video and audio production projects and enjoying the music developed in this space,” said Mayor Jack Crompton in the release.
By sharing these resources, the library hopes to “promote an inclusive, shared economy, allowing individuals and families across the community to access resources which might otherwise be unaffordable,” the release went on. “The library aims to democratize and demystify advanced technology, making it accessible and equitable to all, while promoting sustainability through the shared economy.”
The Wonder Lab is the result of the library’s 2017 Vision Survey, which identified a need for improved access to technology. The space is possible thanks to financial support from Friends of the Whistler Public Library and the Rotary Club of Whistler.
The library is hosting several open houses this month to launch the lab, with staff at the various stations to answer questions and hold demonstrations. Those are scheduled for:
- Thursday, May 4, from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.
- Sunday, May 7, from 12 to 2 p.m.
- Wednesday, May 10, from 3 to 5 p.m.
- Thursday, May 11, from 5 to 7 p.m.
Find more info about the workshops at whistlerlibrary.ca/event/wonder-lab-open-house.
Learn more about The Wonder Lab at whistlerlibrary.ca/home/wonder-lab.
