Welcome to HacktionLab

For news & updates about BarnCamp and other HacktionLab events, sign-up to our low-traffic announcements mailing list*.
*Mailing list kindly provided by Aktivix.

HacktionLab: Another Technology is Possible...

HacktionLab is UK tech-activist run project that aims to create regular convergence spaces where activists interested and/or working in the areas of alternative media, renewable energy, on-line video distribution, free software or any other form of activism that utilises technology can get together and plan how to better harness the technology (or not) to support grass roots social movements. HacktionLab is also working to create a roadshow of outreach workshops and discussion spaces that can be run alone or as part of a larger event.

HacktionLab runs the successful BarnCamp rural skills-sharing gathering, which last took place in 2013. It has also helped to nuture and launch several projects, including Network 23, Tech Tools for Activism and Be The Media.

HacktionLab latest news

Our next gathering is taking place in Bradford on 15th and 16th November 2014. Visit this page for more information. We are also planning for the 2015 outing of BarnCamp in the Wye Valley in June next year. Keep watching this space for news

Visit this page for more details of and links to all our previous events and collaborations.

• We returned to the Bristol Anarchist Bookfair on Saturday 26th April at 1pm to give an abridged and updated version of our talk on in Privacy and the Dark Side of the Net to a packed room of people (the room was pretty small and there were quite a lot of people).

• Under the guise of Tech Tools for Activism we did a talk in the Rebel Soul tent at Shambala Festival 2013 on the topic of Privacy and the Dark Side of the Net in light of the revalations by Edward Snowden. Materials are available: Click to download a handy crib sheet of useful URLs or Click to download a PDF of the slides from the talk.

• Our last big rural hack-lab skills-sharing gathering event took place on 7th, 8th & 9th June 2013 with a slew of amazing workshop proposals. 2013's event was organised in collaboration with Bristol Wireless and FLOSS Manuals. Check-out the BarnCamp Media Page for details of what happened.

• We ran a one hour talk-cum-workshop session at this year's Bristol Anarchist Bookfair on Saturday 20th April at 1pm in The Room With a View at the Trinity, Bristol. We also took time out on the grass in the Sun to have a planning meeting for this year's BarnCamp.

• We're pleased to have squeezed the second edition of our booklet, Tech Tools for Activism our of the printer's door. Some pre-release copies were distributed at the Movement Support Gathering in Birmingham and the final version were on sale at the London Anarchist Bookfair, and at Shared Planet. If you'd like some copies to distribute or for your locality, please email us at techtoolsbook _at_ hacktionlab _dot_ org.

• We ran a stall at Shared Planet 2012, which took place on Saturday 10th and Sunday 11th November at Sheffield Hallam University. Run by People & Planet, Shared Planet is the UK's largest student activist conference. We were there with copies of the new Tech Tools for Activism booklet, as well as lots of other information.

• We had a stall at the London Anarchist Bookfair which took place at Queen Mary’s, University of London on Saturday 27th October. It was a lot of fun to meet everyone, faces old and new, and we had a great day.

• In the summer some hacktionlabbers took part in the Open Source Hardware Camp and the Movement Support Gathering.

• The Spring 2012 HacktionLab took place at the London Action Resource Centre (LARC) over the May Bank Holiday. Go here for more details.

• Some members of HacktionLab launched the new Tech Tools for Activism web site. And a list of new tools for 2012 new tools for 2012

• In January 2012 we returned to the brilliant 1-in-12 Club (Bradford) for the third time and the tenth HacktionLab, a gathering of people from various projects that featured a Drupal clinic, and launched Tech Tools for Activism, a new project to provide a co-ordinated gateway into resources for activists in the UK. More on this very soon....

• We had stalls at the Rebellious Media Conference (8/9 Oct, London) and also at the London Anarchist Bookfair (22 Oct, London) where we were chatting to people and giving out copies of Tech tools for activists.

• There was a gathering of projects involved with HacktionLab in Manchester on the 17th and 18th of September 2011: our ninth gathering at Hacktionlab Manchester 2011.

• Having decided not to host Barncamp 2012, plans are a foot - or more correctly we have plans to use our feet. Hacktionlab on the Road is in the works. We're concentrating on being present at other peoples events. The Green Gathering, Shambala and some smaller activist gatherings have been suggested. We've already approached some organizers and got very positive feedback. If on the other hand you do want Barncamp 201? to go ahead, you should step up to the plate: join the mailing list and declare your intent. BarnCamp may be back after a year's(?) (well-earned?) rest in the guise of BarnCamp 2014.

• Some hacktionlabbers have been involved in launching a new anonymous secure blogging network using a Wordpress network set up.

• We our pleased to have finished the first version of our booklet Tech tools for activists. It is aimed at non-techies, from grass-roots and NGO activists to the ordinary person on the street who is concerned about privacy and the surveillance state. It provides technical help and tips about computer security and publishing your own media, amongst other topics. Find out more about it and where you can get hold of hard copies, or download it.

• Finally various local HacktionLab collectives are the throes of organising workshop events in their local areas. Get on the list and get in touch if you're interested in organising, giving or attending a workshop.

Contact Details

Nearly all proposals, discussions and news takes place on our (old fashioned) Mailing List. This is the best place to get in touch:

• Join the email list. More information at this page
• There is also the (now somewhat defunct) Crabgrass group located at https://we.riseup.net/hacktionlab

Interesting Links

• No Borders Mobile tech set up 2007
• Indymedia centre at Climate Camp (Sipson 2007)
• Indymedia at the Camp for Climate Action 2006: Report & Personal View
• Stirling Indymedia - Field IMC at Horizon Ecovillage during G8 protests
• Edinburgh Media Centre Tech during G8 protests
• Indymedia: HOWTO Mount a Media Centre
• Suite of low-cost, low-energy laptops running Linux at a home education festival in 2005 - Bristol Wireless