Robby lang

Artist, Brainstormer, Connector, Designer, Engineer, Environmentalist, Idea generator, Musician, Social entrepreneur

I worked as an Electronics dude for 12 years. after receiving an IBM engineering Scholarship at 15 years old. I worked in Scotland, California, Sydney and Perth's Solar Research institute. I emigrated to Sydney Australia in 1979 with my partner at the time, Joyce. I managed to get a job working with AWA on a prototype microwave automatic landing system for aircraft called, Interscan, I spent some time at the end of an aircraft runway as screaming jets took off over my head in a jet fuel mirage. However we had always hated the lack of freedom of being wage slaves, and after one year in Sydney, at 22, we chucked our jobs and left the big city, we sold the Fj holden and bought a powder blue, HQ station wagon, with big mag wheels, and we set off to explore the country. We worked on the land all over Northern NSW and Queensland for a year. After that we drove across the Nullarbor, thro plagues of rabbits, kangaroos and grasshoppers to finally arrive and settle in WA, where I managed to score a fantastic job, working as a tech, flying around remote communities, installing mini weather stations and data collection systems for, investigating the feasability of installing renewable energy systems in those remote mostly aboriginal communities. However we still craved freedom and independence and after 3 years, at 27, we said good bye to the 9 to 5, forever, and we started our own business. We didn't care what we did as long as it gave us that freedom. We became the merchants of recycled junk, the makers of strange objects, the printers of Tee shirts, all the while working in the Freo Markets back in its early days, whilst we re built our nutty little house in East Freo. Freo Markets was the incubator for the young entrepreneurs of the Freo economy. Around 1991, I became a Blacksmith, Designer, and Maker and Freo's first legal Street Trader. We made tons of stuff and we still do, Public Sculpture, Furniture, Shopfits, Staircases, Ballustrades, Houses. In 2003 I started The FREMANTLE FIBONACCI CENTRE, converting a derelict paint factory in Freo's old Industrial Area, into a thriving arts Hub, which works as an incubator, creating employment for all manner of people seeking independence. We have a Performance, Community and Exhibition space for 100 people, a Vegan Cafe, a Yoga Studio, A Collective Workspace, Micro conference spaces and a bunch of art studios. My passions are to revitalise the old Industrial Area into a thriving Arts Community, with an international Identity, I want to help enrich the life experience of the people in my community and beyond. I want to help preserve and protect our dwindling forests and wildlife, and I want to help re forest all the lands, that we have destroyed over the past 2 centuries. I want to help localise power production, using renewable energy sources, and encourage the collection of rainwater for household usage and the cultivation of food crops. I want to help reclaim the streets, planting almonds and other edible varieties for harvesting and supporting the existence of our precious Carnaby Cockatoos. I want to make our cities shady and beautiful and healthy. I want to help further reconcilliation, and finally I want to let ordinary peoples stories be told to who ever wants to listen XXXXXXX I am the father of 4 beautiful children Rory, Glen, Rosie and Gabriel, and the grandfather of 3 beautiful little girls Sienna, Poppy and Isobella

The Environment, Community, Trees, The Ocean, The Animals, Water, Alternative economies, Personal Independence, Freedom, Peace, Culture, Music, Empowerment.

My passions are to revitalise the old Industrial Area into a thriving Arts Community, with an international Identity, I want to help enrich the life experience of the people in my community and beyond. I want to help preserve and protect our dwindling forests and wildlife, and I want to help re forest all the lands, that we have destroyed over the past 2 centuries. I want to help localise power production, using renewable energy sources, and encourage the collection of rainwater for household usage and the cultivation of food crops. I want to help reclaim the streets, planting almonds and other edible varieties for harvesting and supporting the existence of our precious Carnaby Cockatoos. I want to make our cities shady and beautiful and healthy. I want to help further reconcilliation, and finally I want to let ordinary peoples stories be told to who ever wants to listen XXXXXXX

REVUE-interview: Robby Lang, Founder of The Fremantle Fib. CentreAlbumsREVUE-interview: Robby Lang, Founder of The Fremantle Fib. Centre 12 Photos · Updated 2 years ago “Allow them a place to meet and get them drunk.” - Robby Lang, Co-Founder of Fremantle Fibonacci Centre After years of producing inanimate and functional objects, Local Wrought Iron sculptor and designer Robby Lang recognised that a much more lasting and significantly positive impact could be made on the greater community by producing something of intrinsic value to everyone and therefore he founded the Community Hub The Fremantle Fibonacci Centre. REVUE's Co-Publisher Jan Bathel, asked him about the pleasures and struggles of running a place aiming to connect the strenght of artists and makers and why "there is no substitute for total commitment". JB: What was the initial idea or purpose for the setup of your project and what are your plans for the future? RL: The Fibonacci centre acts as a community resource, along the lines of a commercial community centre, providing many of the services often provided by local councils. It is designed to enrich our society, by creating a space, which allows for an individual’s, or group’s creativity and self expression to grow in a safe environment. As such the centre provides an alternative to the current entertainment scene and all of its ugly offshoots. We have helped build an incubator for emerging and established talent. With it’s unique blend of emerging artists and working designers, we have helped form a link for artists to enter the commercial world, if they chose. It also allows them to engage with the possibility of commercial application of their talent. Within the building, the central atrium is used for community purpose, to house exhibitions, film, performance, and music, weddings funerals, anything. In the future, We will start The Freo shop, which will sell prints of works produced by artists within the building, as well as copies of any significant music, literature or art ever produced in Freo. We will also have a Roofspace garden: The roof space of the Fibonacci centre covers 800sqm and collects approximately 600,000 litres of water every year, as well as around 800kw of solar energy at the peak of the day. It is our intention to harness these resources for a large aquaponics garden, and mini solar power station. We are currently seeking sponsors for this project also. We will effectively be growing vegies, fish, and energy, that will in turn be used in the downstairs café. In the café, all the furniture will be locally produced and available for sale, as will be the plates and cutlery, the staff will wearing clothing produced inhouse, and hence for sale. The Fibonacci centre is a grand vision, but luckily we are already 9 years into the project and have already achieved many of the initial goals. JB: What activities do you use to stimulate relationships and collaborations and do they reach the same target group as they aimed at to reach when setting up the space? RL: The Fib is very much a community space, and well used by artists and the general community. The Cafe and central space are gravitational and exchange spaces, where resident artists and groups often meet. The council and community arts officers have been supportive, as has Artsource. We also have 2 dynamic Arts Groups within the Building, Artists Anonymous And the Arts Cartel. We are regular participators in the Fremantle Festival and Promote local musicians and emerging musicians and artists as well as fledgling business groups and artisans. We do reach the target group we originally set out to include and more. JB: How do you get people to go into a mode of exchange: sharing their experiences, curiosity, knowhow and failures. RL: We are a private organisation running out of a very old Paint factory. The operation is not the most streamline, since it doesn’t have a great income stream, and doesn’t receive any significant income support. We tend to bumble our way through, and try not to repeat past shortcomings, we don’t have too many outright failures. We rely heavily on Facebook and word of mouth, Groups often have their own entourage. JB: What’s your greatest lesson learned from your Creative Space project? RL: The greatest lessons are, That it is possible to enrich the community, when you take direct action. There is no substitute for total commitment. The law is administered in an abitrary fashion. Councils are swayed by vocal minorities Never trust a council initiative. Be Bold Be Open Let others reach their potential. Don’t try and control the process of growth too much, Creativity is best when amorphous and nebulus. Let creativity flourish JB: What other spaces inspire you and what have you learned from them? RL: The Breeding Ground in Amsterdam, The Anti Squat movement, Market spaces everywhere, Growers Market, Fern, CityFarm, Christiana, Barcelona, Berlin. London housing co operatives, Findhorn, The Earthship mo