Tucked inside an old warehouse on Whitehall Street, beside Footscray’s sprawling West Gate Tunnel Project construction site, Footscray Maker Lab (FML) is a cooperative space for more than 40 makers and artists.

Formed around 2015, FML is a not-for-profit community-based organisation, run by members and has become a rare survivor of rising rents and rapid development in Melbourne’s inner west.

“There is no space like it that I know of,” said Tim Harris, a swordsmith and a long-time member. “A place where you can be loud, messy, dusty, do your thing, and still be part of a community.”

Harris, who once worked in music and writing, turned to blacksmithing in the mid-1990s. He joined FML for the convenient location but stayed for the great feeling of “being part of a cooperative like this”. “We help each other out. There are skills and resources that can be shared,” he said.

Welder, Andres Gresa MacPherson, known as Sparks, passes his tools on to Harris when he upgrades. After losing his job during COVID, MacPherson turned to self-employment.

“If you’re an employee, you’ve got no stability, no job security, no guarantees of anything,” he said. He also teaches welding to beginners, with discounts to people from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Not all makers at FML work with metal. Multidisciplinary artist Carmel Cosgrove, a Footscray local, documents environmental damage around Stony Creek and the West Gate Bridge through projection, photography, collage and drawing. She has tracked local ecological changes in the area for the past 20 years. “It’s a little thinking space, a great space for connecting,” she said. “You get to share with other amazing artists… you’re with your people.”

Stencil artist Sean Burton, a veteran of the British and Australian armies, uses street art to process trauma. “This little studio is my place. I close the door and it’s just my creativity. It’s very therapeutic.” Burton values the freedom at FML. “Everyone here is a little bit different, but they march to the beat of their own drum.”

However, running the maker lab takes more than creativity. With no paid staff apart from a bookkeeper, FML depends entirely on volunteers.

“We’re not funded in any way by the state government,” said MacPherson, who is also on the FML board. “This community has been here a long time, and I hope it lasts a lot longer.”

The sense of responsibility is shared across the board. Tom Scott, a furniture maker and FML’s communicator, said decisions are made collectively. “We try to have an odd number of board members so that when we vote for things, we get a decision. Most issues are resolved through our WhatsApp group.”

Treasurer Ian de Gruchy said being involved keeps him close to what matters. “Being treasurer means I’ve got my finger on the pulse, like how many we’ve got, what we’re spending, and if we can cover what we need,” he said. “If people want to keep paying cheap rent, they need to keep paying it. But that’s the deal. I like my studio here; I want to hang on to it.”

According to Scott, the lab began as a space for group projects, now it’s more of an incubator. “It’s a home for small businesses, hobbyists, artists,” he said.

New members apply with a written statement of intent, and the board votes on whether they’re a good fit for FML.

Beyond studio work and board meetings, small daily rituals build connections. Scott’s workspace has become a gathering point where members drop in for espresso from a second-hand coffee machine he repaired himself, and chat over shared lunches.

For many, FML is more than a place to work. Some, like Harris, have lost previous workspace to rising rent and development. “Someone offered the landlord more money, so I had to face the serious prospect of packing up my workshop, not knowing whether I’d ever be able to work again,” He recalled.

With major residential and infrastructure projects reshaping Footscray, there’s concern that FML might face the same fate.

For now, however, its future looks stable. “The two owners here are happy for us to occupy it,” said de Gruchy, “We look after everything, and they think it’s doing a bit of a social good.”

Moving forward, members hope to keep FML not only alive but more inclusive. “We’ve tried to prioritise diverse applicants,” said MacPherson. Others like de Gruchy and Cosgrove, welcome the growing presence of female artists. “A nice balance would be good,” Cosgrove said.

The entrance to FML at 210 Whitehall Street, Footscray, discreetly located behind a chain-link gate on a sprawling industrial site develoeprs would love to get their hands on.

Swordsmith, Tim Harris, in the front section of his workspace at FML, where the surrounding tools and notes reflect his creative thinking and workflow.

Andres Gresa MacPherson, known as “Sparks”, sits inside his workshop at FML surrounded by grinders, welders and a tangle of metal offcuts. As an enthusiast turned professional, ‘Sparks’ calls the process “hot, loud and strangely calming”. After COVID, he started his own business and now runs Arcs ‘N Sparks Fabrication.

Sean Burton in his studio at FML. Behind him hangs Babs, a well-known stencil piece based on a photograph he took of a fellow soldier during service. “I like to use everyday serving people as the basis for my work,” he said. “I hope it becomes something their children can remember them by.”

Tom Scott, a furniture maker and FML board member, works on a handmade wooden frame in his studio. He collaborates with his father, who designs digitally while Tom brings those ideas to life by hand.

In the corner of his studio, Tom Scott brews coffee with fellow member Ben. A fixed-up machine and a tray of mismatched cups are always ready to welcome whoever stops in.

Treasurer Ian de Gruchy organizing his artwork. He transformed what used to be FML’s meeting room into a combined studio, office and gallery.

Members gather for lunch inside Scott’s studio. These lunch breaks are casual and relaxed, with people drifting in one after another, bringing their food, and chatting about work and life.

At FML, even lunch happens around the tools. A workbench doubles as a lunch table, offering members a break from their projects.

While FML members each “march to the beat of their own drum,” the space runs on shared rules and mutual respect. This notice reminds everyone of the basic agreements that help keep the lab safe, inclusive and cooperative.