Having played Minecraft for some years, it’s been great fun to see a map of Wisbech professionally built! Anyone can build a map of blocks with a couple of tools, but Collusion are running a project to create a more detailed version, which is perfect for fun games as well as useful for visualising planning issues, maps and more.

Knowing Adam Clarke and his work, as well as through his books and our joint interest in alternative education, it was good to be able to bring him to the project and be part of his workshops. His enthusiasm and detailed skills in digital arts are inspiring and we look forward to working with him further exploring this and other projects.

Blockworks have also been part of the Minecraft scene since near its creation and Adam has supported the company through opportunities to create some brilliant builds (a favourite, London in 1666, in collaboration with Victoria Bennett and Dragnoz), so they are a great asset to bring to the project. Those who’ve played Minecraft will appreciate the clever use of different blocks and other objects used to create stylish illustrations of the real buildings.

As Minecraft Wisbech had a pretty tight timescale, it was essential to move quickly, so having agreed to help with the process, we asked two groups that were already established to be part of the project, rather than a public callout.

The Penelope Club is a regular meeting of local creative women, many in business, or wanting to be. Started by Lorena as part of Red Barn Creative, it has had funding for digital skills training from Connected Cambridgeshire and also from the Community Reach fund to put on an event sharing the work of the group with a wider audience. Now funded by Wisbech Projects CIC, we meet every month at Alexandra House and meetings range through discussions about work problems, town issues, how to fund projects, and often just a good old catchup, supporting each other in our different creative lives.

Wisbech Heritage Forum is an online Facebook group to give an opportunity to chat about the local heritage, inform members of tools, activities and events they may find useful, and discuss ideas for projects. Using a collaborative approach, the Forum welcomes members of other groups to work together for the common goal of ensuring Wisbech’s heritage and its community and volunteers are part of the positive publicity of the town, counteracting much of what is currently out there in the general media. To this end, there will be regular offline meetings and other events and activities coming up.

With thanks to both groups and especially those who were able to come along to the Minecraft Wisbech sessions, we have added to the build and hope you all enjoy what you find when it’s released to the public on March 22nd!

Edit: we had a great time at the launch! The Wisbech Standard reported on it and produced  a couple of video interviews (here)
The film is on Youtube (here)

Go along to Collusion’s website for more info and of course get on to the map, server IP is 158.69.28.220 or download from github:
https://github.com/collusion-org-uk/minecraft-wisbech

If you’re on the server, look out for a call to the Bridge – you may see some fireworks!