This past May marked the inaugural Automata Fest held in Hastings on England’s south coast. I checked, it was a seven-hour drive, or about the same by train. But I knew I had to be there, so I booked a ticket for the full three-day event. I’m so glad that I did!
The festival took place in the Observer Building and the Cabaret Mechanical Theatre’s Mechanical Making Space, two fabulous venues side by side. Although the fest officially ran from Friday to Sunday, there was a drinks and registration session on Thursday evening, so I hurried along, ticket in hand.
What an overwhelming delight! There were people I’d known for years, and others I’d admired from afar for even longer. I finally met social media friends in real life, and the whole evening was a joyful blur of familiar faces, warm introductions, and shared excitement. A truly overwhelming time, in the best possible way.
Friday morning began with a leisurely walk from my hotel along the seashore to the Observer Building. The day unfolded with more wonderful meetings, the delight of spotting my book Making Paper Automata in the Cabaret store, inspiring talks from creative automata makers, and plenty of chances to chat with fellow enthusiasts.
During one of the breaks, I had the chance to sit down with Marc Horowitz, editor of Automata Magazine. I was thrilled, and a little stunned, to be offered the opportunity to write a regular column about paper automata for the magazine. Of course, I said a very grateful yes!
Automata Fest was more than just talks and tinkering; it was a gathering of kindred spirits. I shared dinners with fascinating automata folk, sat by the shore eating fish and chips with new friends, and watched the sun set over the sea from a hilltop path, feeling quietly grateful for it all. It was a weekend of connection, inspiration, and automata magic. There is talk of Automata Fest being biennial. Sign me up for 2027!
The deadline for my first Automata Magazine column was just a few weeks after Automata Fest, so I had to think fast. The brief was fairly open, just that it should be about paper automata.
For an opening piece, I felt it should include a bit of backstory: how and why I got into paper automata, and perhaps a look at a particular mechanism. But first, I needed a name. I played around with a few possibilities, but it was my partner who came up with the winner- Snippets.
I liked it immediately. It captured the physical snipping of paper, of course, but also the spirit of the column: a mix of ideas, insights, and hopefully a few delightful surprises.
The magazine lands on the first of every other month, so this morning, 1st September, the very first Snippets column arrived. What a thrill to see it nestled among makers I’ve admired for years in the automata world. I’ve been a subscriber for a while now, so it was especially meaningful to see my own work on those pages.
When Marc and I first discussed the column, we thought it would be fun to include a downloadable project, something readers could print out and make at home.
For this first piece, I split the column into two: the first half shares a bit of my automata backstory, and the second explores the use of cams in paper automata. To tie it all together, I included the Chomping T.Rex project, which you can just about make out in the final panel of the column above.
If you’re not already a subscriber to Automata Magazine, I can wholeheartedly recommend it. It’s packed with inspiring makers, clever mechanisms, and thoughtful stories from across the automata world.
I hope you enjoy reading Snippets, the first column is out now, and the next one is already with the editor ready to land in the November issue. There’s plenty more paper-powered magic to come!
As a premium subscriber, I’m sure you’re looking forward to a new project to download and make. While I won’t be re-uploading the model featured in Automata Magazine, I did want to share something related, so I’ve added a new version of the poseable T.Rex, the very character from the Chomping T.Rex model.
This project serves a few delightful functions:
It makes a great poseable desktop companion
It’s perfect for simple stop-motion clips (as you can see above)
And it’s a brilliant character to bring to life using one of the many Essential Mechanisms available on robives.com
How will you animate your T.Rex?
With a double cam box to make it dance?
A geared crank for slow-motion stomping?
Or perhaps a mesh gear to set two T.Rexes chasing each other across your desk?
The project comes as a downloadable PDF. If you’re a premium subscriber, you’ll find it at the foot of the page. If you’re not yet a paid subscriber, you can download a similar project from robives.com for £5 or equivalent.
Whether you’re fresh from Automata Fest or just discovering the joy of paper mechanisms, I hope this newsletter has sparked a little creative energy. From the thrill of seeing Snippets in print to the chance to bring your own T.Rex to life, it’s been a month full of movement, connection, and cardboard charm. Thanks for being part of it, and as always, happy making!