Clubhouse Lismore again opens its doors – two years after unprecedented flooding

Clubhouse Lismore – a free after-school technology-learning hub for young people – has a new home in the heart of the Lismore, two years after the original space was damaged in the 2022 floods.

Social Futures CEO Tony Davies said Clubhouse Lismore is valued by Northern Rivers young people. (After the original venue was damaged, Social Futures continued to deliver the Clubhouse program from a small space in Lismore, but there is now a new dedicated Clubhouse Lismore.)

“The new Clubhouse Lismore is fantastic, full of brilliant tech equipment. It’s wonderful to have it in town,” Mr Davies said. “I often describe Clubhouse as an engine room for our future digital leaders.”

Advertisements

Clubhouse Lismore provides young people (aged 12 to 17 years) with a safe and supportive space to explore technologies like video and sound editing, movie making and animation creation with a youth worker. The Clubhouse is equipped with sound and video editing, games, robotics and traditional crafts and electric musical instruments.

“There are so many advantages for young people learning to do things like code games, edit movies and animate cartoons,” Mr Davies said.

“They are being challenged to think, develop new concepts, find the technologies to realise new ideas, build their multi-media skills and ultimately believe in themselves, grow in confidence and appreciate they have so much to offer their community and the world.

Social Futures CEO Tony Davies with Sgt Ricardo Troncoso, and Cassie Primer and Melissa Gordon also from Social Futures

“The first Clubhouse was established in 1993 by two education researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology – that is a top global university.

“Lismore is again finding its feet and it’s wonderful for the young people of the region to have a great resource like Clubhouse Lismore. It supports young people to use the latest tech tools to create and express themselves.”

Norther Rivers teenager Finn Bicchieri encouraged local young people to visit Clubhouse Lismore.

“Give clubhouse a go, it’s really fun,” Finn said.

“I’ve been able to work on a lot of really cool projects, a lot of community-involved projects and it’s always just a nice way to meet people and get out.

“We have lots of cool things. There is lots of computers, there’s a three-dimensional, there’s VR which is really fun. There’s lots of different musical instruments, there’s some robots you can play with, lots of different stuff.

“It’s very exciting to have club house back in Lismore. I was really sad when the flood took out the old clubhouse, because it was a nice space which was great, and I’m so glad there’s a new space.”

The Clubhouse Network, which began in Boston, Massachusetts, has 100 locations around the world and has made a difference to the lives of over 50,000 youth. There are more than 120 clubhouses in 19 countries that introduce young people to creative technology.

For more 2022 floods news, click here.