
WORKSHOPS
If you are interested in workshops let us know and we will add you to our email list. Send your contact info and any ideas you have for workshops to m.edwards4@cairns.qld.gov.au.
Stay tuned to this page and join the Community Discord channel.
FUTURE WORKSHOPS
REDSTONE WORKSHOPS – 12 to 15 April 2021
Students of all capabilities will learn how to create amazing technical contraptions using Minecraft’s Redstone. We will have beginners workshops for the newer players and advanced workshops for all the smarty pants players. Dates and times to be announced soon. Make sure you are a member to receive early bird access via email.
RASN ROADTRIP WORKSHOPS – 15 May 2021
Students from Cassowary Coast, Tablelands, Etheridge and Douglas shires are invited to attend workshops as part of the Cairns Childrens Festival in May 2021. Schools in those regions will receive information about this great offer this term.
Previous workshops
Architectural Building Workshops – December/January 2020/21
Students worked with facilitators Mark Edwards and James Collins to build their ideal tropical building according to Cairns Regional Council’s Cool Homes: smart design for the tropics and Cairns Style Guide.
Beginners learnt the basics of Minecraft creative building in a fun supportive environment. Students then created their own tropical house design at a scale of 1 block = 1 metre as an entry in the Regional Architectural Building Competition 2021.
Advanced students learnt how to build to scale using World Edit, the most powerful design tool available for Minecraft. Workshop participants created their own tropical building for the competition at a scale of 1 block = 100 millimetres. Advanced workshop participants gained the Builder role on the Cairns Minecraft Creative server.
Image below of one of the beginner classes.

Advanced build at 1 block = 100 mm – Beginners build at 1 block = 1 metre – Advanced is 1000 times more detail
HYBRID SERVER WORKSHOPS – SEPTEMBER 2020
Workshop facilitators Mark Edwards and Daniel Wallwork worked with students to set up the new Cairns Minecraft hybrid servers. Finally, you can play on the same world with your friends on PS4, PC and mobile devices at the same time.
The two-day workshop program was designed for students ages 10 and up who have an interest in game design and server management, as well as a love for awesome gameplay. Workshop participants worked behind the scenes to conceptualise the new server structure, set up new worlds, install plugins and design mini-games.
Finished spawn world
INTENSIVE SERVER WORKSHOPS – APRIL 2020
Students worked together during online workshops over the 2 weeks of Easter holidays 2020 to create a new spawn world and Hunger Games maps on the JAVA server. Students learnt how to use World Painter, World Edit, Holographic Displays and Multiverse to create their worlds. If you would like to see their work jump on the JAVA server and head to the Hunger Games portal and try each arena.
One of the Hunger Games maps
The video below (no audio) shows how easy it it to create a custom world in only 6 minutes using World Painter, one of the pieces of software students used. This world is used for the Hunger Games spawn point.
3D PRINTING WORKSHOPS DECEMBER 2019 – JANUARY 2020
A big thanks to the 40 students who attended the December/January workshops, you were awesome! Everyone took home a 3D printed model that they designed in game, and helped build the Cairns Court House.
3D models fresh off the printer
Building the Cairns Court House
SKIN DESIGN WORKSHOPS – JULY 2019
Thanks to all 60 students who came to the skins workshops. We had a blast. All students made at least one skin, some made many more. The skins for download and fashion parade video are now available on the SKINS page.
RESOURCE PACK WORKSHOPS – APRIL 2019
Thanks to everyone who came along to the sell out Resource Pack workshops.
The Resource Pack that students worked on is available to download here.
Facilitators Mark Edwards and Daniel (Wally) Wallwork in a painting on the Queenslander display home with cyber pig and bush turkey!
A quick tour of the Workshop World.
CAIRNS CITY TO SCALE WORKSHOPS – OCTOBER 2018
Workshops were held at the Tanks Arts Centre on 3 – 5 October 2018. During the workshops students built Lake Street and Shields Street. The students used printed detail plans and Google Earth to measure the sizes and used Google Street View to work out what textures to use. See the images below of what was built and have a look at some of the plans we used. If you would like to finish the Shields Street section, have a look at the plans down the page and get on the server!
Find out more about the development of the streets:
Shields Street Heart stages 1 & 2
Lake Street redevelopment
Shields Street stage 1
Shields Street stage 2
RAVENSHOE SCHOOL HOLIDAY PROGRAM – APRIL 2018
Cairns Minecraft delivered workshops at the Ravenshoe Community Centre where 8 students and 3 volunteers worked together to measure and build the Ravenshoe Community Centre complex. The workshops also covered server management, plugins, World Edit, World Painter and mini game design.
The students built a Spleef arena in the two basketball courts next to the community centre and with a little help from some players in Cairns they created an awesome meteor impact crater Survival Games arena. Check out the video below.
Community Centre complex with houses in the foreground
Temple of the Rainbow Sheep and Meteor Survival Games Arena to the top left.
Students hard at work.
World Painter map, 4000 x 4000 blocks which equates to 4 km x 4km.
One of the awesome houses.
CODING AND ROBOTICS WORKSHOPS – CAIRNS LIBRARIES – JUNE 2017
The Hour of Code workshops were a huge success. Students learnt coding, developed skills in the popular virtual world of Minecraft and explored the Cairns Minecraft server. Hour of Code is a global movement introducing millions of young people worldwide to computer science, inspiring them to learn more. For more information click the links below:
http://blogs.slq.qld.gov.au/plconnect/2018/02/27/3026/
Image below: Will showing off his build during the Hour of Code workshop at Headspace Cairns.
INITIAL SERVER BUILD WORKSHOPS – APRIL 2016
Check out the Cairns Sun story from the April 2016 workshops at the Tanks Arts Centre!