Technology from Brock’s Makerspace is headed to downtown St. Catharines for a community event later this month.

The Maker Culture Showcase will take over Mahtay Café on Thursday, May 18 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in order to highlight innovative technology and drum up interest from the public.

The event is meant to not only make the community aware of the resources available at the University’s Makerspace, but to also allow like-minded people to connect with one another, said IT Support Technician Tabitha Lewis.

The hope, she said, is that the showcase will act as a catalyst for future Maker Culture events.

Makerspaces are a place for people “to learn, to experiment, get hands-on experience and to use technology you wouldn’t necessarily have access to at home,” said Jonathan Younker, Head of Brock’s Library Systems and Technology.

“For some makerspaces, it’s power tools or industrial equipment. Ours is more of a clean makerspace with more digital elements — 3D scanning, 3D printing and video editing.”

Getting involved in 3D printing, modelling and scanning is “easier than ever before,” he said, while encouraging people to attend the free event to learn more.

Technology will be provided by the James A. Gibson Library’s Makerspace, Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts, Youth University, Faculty of Education, Centre for Digital Humanities and BioLinc.

Stations will include virtual reality headsets, paper circuits, 3D printers and musical instruments made from 3D printed parts.

There will be a Sphero Ball, a robotic gaming device controlled with a tilt, touch or swing of a smartphone or tablet; Makey Makey, an invention kit that turns everyday objects into touchpads; and littleBits Electronics, a platform of easy-to-use electronic building blocks that empower anyone to create inventions, large and small.

In addition to a variety of technology, the event will feature vendors connected to maker culture. BioLinc resident Danny Khanna will promote his 3D filament business, Josie Faccini will share information about Ladies Learning Code, a not-for-profit organization that works as a resource for women as builders of technology, and Fayyaz Rizvi will promote the newly established Brock Prosthetics Club.

To RSVP to the free event or for more information, visit the Maker Culture Showcase Eventbrite page.