So for some time now I’ve been documenting some of my toy methods and practices over at my YouTube channel – its been a fun thing to do, as I’ve always believed that knowledge shared is knowledge used. This time around, I decided to grab some of my friends at one of our regular “toy jams” and get in their own words what designer toys mean to them, and, in this Covid world, what it means to be able to physically catch up, share ideas and knowledge, and just enjoy making toys together. This all ended up also being a mini documentary (I’m not a video producer, it is what it is haha) on our This Is Not A Toy Scene community, with some great words and inspiration here from 5 different toy artists from right here in Melbourne.

Watch it below or check it out on YouTube.

“This latest episode is something a bit different, a mini documentary if you will! As a very last minute thing, I recorded some interviews with some friends when we caught up for the first time since Covid – and asked them all about toys, making and our community. So how do you build a local toy maker community? How about starting a regular toy jam? That’s what we did down here in Melbourne back in 2019.

What started as a few small exhibitions with a handful of artists turned into a community of amazing individuals working together to promote the scene, and share knowledge of all they knew. Since then its just grown and grown, and we now regularly meet up for our #toyjams

So what IS a toy jam? You get together, you bring materials, old toys, bits and pieces, and yourself and a willingness to have fun – and you sit around and make a toy or do toy stuff for a few hours! They’re one of the best ways to share knowledge, socialise and learn more about your fellow artists. Its been hard for us all during Covid, and I really think that this might be something for everyone to join in and do now that a lot of us are coming out the other side of it!

In this video I talk to: –

Rachee Renee (whose amazing space, the Sensorium, we used for this toy jam) – https://www.instagram.com/racheerenee –
Cipta – GGNW Toys – https://www.instagram.com/ggnwtoys –
AJ – KAYO Co. – https://www.instagram.com/_kayo.co –
Rob Hamilton
Liam Alkamraikhi – ZNG – https://www.instagram.com/barakaslam

I’d like to thank all of the artists who have been a part of the This Is Not A Toy Scene group, and whose work may appear in some parts of the exhibitions in this video. Thank you for all your amazing work, I cant name you all on here (Ill try to update this description) but I’m humbled and thankful for all your inspiration – I really hope to introduce all the rest of you to my viewers when time (and Covid) permits us to jam next!

Caveats – hey guys, its probably painfully obvious that I’m not a video producer :D I literally did these interviews on a dodgy camera and as a last minute thing. There may be some audio and video issues in this (I really need a proper camera), so be warned – I did my best! My aim isn’t to be a video producer, but to just document the things I do and the people who are a part of it all.

I’m learning all this as I go along, and Ill get better at it, but please bare with the glitches and if you have ideas on how I can improve, please let me know! If you have your own toy jam, please tag us on Instagram! #toyjam #thisisnotatoyscene @thisisnotatoyscene  :D”