What is Babycastles co-working night?

Every Monday, Babycastles is open from 6 PM to 10 PM or later for anyone to come and work on any project alongside others. It is free of charge. The co-working community is a friendly and collaborative one, with many projects beginning there and many people forming relationships that lead to future projects. It’s a casual, social space but can also be incredibly helpful for seeking help from others or for being exposed to new sources of inspiration.

What do people work on there?

Many people come to co-working work on games and interactive media projects, but all types of projects are welcome, including non-digital ones.  For example, sometimes teachers work on syllabuses or on grading assignments. Some resources of the gallery are available to co-workers, so sometimes people test installations or equipment, and they also work on building things they wouldn’t be able to build at home.

How does it benefit game developers, artists, musicians and programmers?

The main benefits are gaining feedback, learning from others and having a place to collaborate.  Co-working is a great place to playtest a game or have someone test an app. It’s also a useful resource for asking others for opinions on what you’re working on.  People usually end up having conversations about the tools they use on their projects, so co-working can help people learn about new tools and techniques. Co-working is also a good environment for meeting with collaborators to discuss a project or to work on one together.

How long has it been running?

Co-working night started in 2015 as part of Babycastles’ first residency program.  Residents and other members of the Babycastles and Hack Manhattan communities were invited to share their projects and work together.