MAKING A DESIGNER TOY COMMUNITY - THIS IS NOT A TOY SCENE - (Melbourne Toy Artist Interviews)

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) - / racheerenee
Cipta - GGNW Toys - / ggnwtoys
AJ - KAYO Co. - / _kayo.co
Rob Hamilton
Liam Alkamraikhi - ZNG - / barakaslam
Id like to thank all of the artists who have bene 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. Thankyou for all your amazing work, I cant name you all on here (Ill try to update this description) but Im 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
/ thisisnotatoyscene :D
Keep creating, toy fiends x
* *
Hi everyone - I'm Facter (@facter on IG) and this is my latest tutorial on how I create my own designer toys for Irikanji Toys.
I've been doing graffiti and street art for 25 years, and have been making my own toys for about 6 years now, in Melbourne, Australia. It's been an amazing journey so far - still have so much to learn, but id like to share what I already know, and learn from everyone else - so please leave comments or suggestions, and constructive criticisms!
JOIN OUR DISCORD! / discord
This Is Not a Toy Store - www.thisisnotat...
Check out my website or buy toys - www.irikanji.com​
Instagram - / facter​
FB - / facter

[@Luc100789]

I can legit tell ma mum I'm in it! ha!!!

[@prettynostalgicau]

I found this group not long after moving to Melbourne, walking along Plenty Rd and stopping dead in my tracks when I saw the window at the Sensorium and the flyer. I ran home going wow I made the right decision to move. Finally a year later I will take part in my first exhibition. Hasn't been a smooth ride on my end but we have something and it will be there. Great doco, lovely to hear the background story.

[@kencain1093]

That was a joy...2 weeks, can't wait

[@MYToyHoard]

glad to see this community is growing in Australia!!!

[@yesnomaybe3443]

I love seeing my friend talk about toys!!!

[@IrikanjiToys]

Ohhh, Ill try and get your words at some stage I reckon :D

[@zackadamscomedy]

Oh this was super fun to watch. Inspiring stuff. I've been making art toys over in Perth and super keen to get part of a bigger community!

[@IrikanjiToys]

Mate drop me a line on Instagram if you need anything - I'm actually currently in Perth ☺️

[@crudominiatures]

mate! very interesting video! it is cool to see how people got into toys and what their thoughts are. I really enjoy your content, thanks for doing it! :)

[@IrikanjiToys]

Thanks mate I'm really glad you found it interesting, that's exactly what I thought too, I love hearing peoples stories !

[@anthonyzayler5449]

Such good insights dude, nice work putting this together.

[@bugs5485]

I’ve been making(drawing) toy designs for some time. And i created my original characters but i dont know how to make it happen since our country doesn’t have a big toy company... and I don’t think they do figurines. That’s why i got here to see how toy designers started making toys and making them happen.

[@IrikanjiToys]

Why country are you in? I can see if I know any designers you can link up with 😊

[@ScottBourke]

I hope i can find a similar community here in Brisbane.

[@IrikanjiToys]

If I hear if anyone up that way I'll let you know !

[@ScottBourke]

@@IrikanjiToys that would be appreciated mate.

[@IrikanjiToys]

@@ScottBourke hit me up on Instagram mate @facter - Ill hook you up with some people if I can

[@stel1000]

These toys are solid resin? Aren’t they too heavy and too pricey to produce? Or are they hollow?

[@IrikanjiToys]

No, they're not hollow, and not too pricey - if you buy resin in bulk amounts it's not too bad, plus solid resin pieces have great weight to them. The sell price also takes into account the materials expense, this is pretty normal

[@dewback1975]

I liked your videos for the knowledge, not your political views, you just isolated half your audience, that just shows me how close minded your are and I would never do any business with you .