The mission of upcycling – from understanding to statement

Participants will learn how to get deeper into the topic/environmental and social issues that they want to touch upon through their work. They learn how to analyse the roots of the problems and based on this, how to express in a clear and original way the mission of their art.

• A list of conceptual definitions of the problems tackled by upcycling.
• Individual stories
• Problem trees
• Mission statements
• participants obtain a skill and tools to better formulate their mission already at the start of their project

• get acknolweged about the main principles of system thinking and the problem tree excercise
• understanding the main completences, skills and backgrounds of the particpants
• finding a good tool for faciitating the plenary discussions (workdcloud, flinga, or offline tools)

• Step 1: if the number of participants is too high this part can also be realised in groups. It can also be combined with Step 2.
• Step 3: participants can also use pre-prepared problem tree visual template or they can create their own drawing
• Step 5: mission statement can also individually.

• • Step 1: Plenary Session 
    Launch a discussion about the main issues and problems addressed by upcycling art. Ask participants to write down the main words and concepts that come to their minds. Based on these, launch a common discussion to find consensus. Use an online tool such as word cloud, Flinga, Miro, or offline tools such as a whiteboard and post-its to collect ideas.

• • Step 2: Group Work 
    Create groups of 3-4 people and guide the participants to discuss their personal experiences with upcycling by asking questions such as: Why do you work with upcycling? Why do you find it useful? What is the story of your motivation? Ask participants to provide short personal stories and write or draw them on white paper.

• • Step 3: Problem Tree Drawing 
    Explain the main elements of the Problem Tree practice, and show some examples. Ask each participant to draw their own Problem Tree by using the following questions: 

    • • Roots: What are the main social and environmental problems that you identify and think about when you work on upcycling?
    • • Trunk: How do you describe upcycling? What are the main values and principles of upcycling that can provide an answer to the original problems?
    • • Branches and Leaves: What are the results? What are the main creative paths of upcycling, and what are the concrete outcomes? How will these outcomes resolve the original problem?

• • Step 4: Problem Tree Sculpture 
    Based on the individual trees, ask the participants to work in their groups again and create a Problem Tree sculpture using wires and different objects. While constructing the sculpture, the participants discuss the common elements and differences represented by their Problem Trees. The final Problem Tree sculptures will represent the results of co-creation, co-reflection, and compromise.

• • Step 5: Summary and Formulation of a Common Mission Statement 
    Based on their Common Problem Tree Sculptures, the groups identify a common mission statement by answering the question: What do we want to change when doing upcycling creativity? Optionally, they can co-design a visual element such as a canvas, poster, flyer, or any other type of object.

• • Step 6: Wrap-up Plenary Discussion 
    Launch a discussion about the aims and use of the exercise.

• https://urbact.eu/toolbox-home/analysing-problems/problem-tree
• https://sswm.info/taxonomy/term/2647/problem-tree-analysis&ved=2ahUKEwi0lt2AvbeFAxVx8LsIHThBCroQFnoECC8QAQ&usg=AOvVaw3IKGOVpzoMyXXXyL7c3zIb