Quite a lot of things around us could have a second life. Some of them can be turned into a great number of things, including musical instruments. For the second upcycle project we gathered a group of people with skills and experiences ranging from ability to play multiple musical instruments to being good at making things.

The main objectives for participants were to:

  • Boost intercultural learning;
  • Develop knowledge and hands-on experience of techniques used in upcycling;
  • Learn a bit about upcycling for music;
  • Share the learning outcome with people by performing on stage.

The first couple of days were all about getting to know each other and learning some facts about the hosting town. One of the good ways to learn about Leipzig was by doing a City Rally. The participants were split into mixed groups to have members from different countries. The teams were given some tough tasks to do like talking to strangers 🙂 and taking themed photos. This situation helped team members connect and become closer to each other.

During the project, some of the bonding games were invented on the go by the project participants themselves.  Following the planned timetable, teams made presentations about the state of upcycling in their home countries and discussed different possibilities in that field.
For the next two days, the participants were sharing a makerspace and taking their first steps in upcycling. While DIY stands for Do-It-Yourself, the makerspace had this atmosphere of support. Everyone working there were trying to help out, brainstorm cool ideas about ways to make things work and giving feedback. The place itself had all the necessary materials and tools for creative fabrication of musical instruments. After making the instruments, participants were given time to finish them up and practice playing them. During that time we were coached about how to perform on stage, what to do and what to avoid doing. The lessons we got helped to get more confident for the performance. For most project participants this was priceless experience that would be useful later in life.

Over a day we came up with the performance program and started rehearsing. This point of the project was a great indicator to see how well people bonded over time and can work together in a big group. Everyone had something to contribute with.
The performance of our Junk Orchestra is something that festival visitors will remember for a long time because it was great. The crowd was entertained and the orchestra musicians happy to perform. At the end of the day, the performance was a great way for people to experience the possibilities connected with upcycling.

During a short Q&A session visitors learned more about the place we were at, the project itself and its fulfilled objectives.

#StayShokkin!