C:F Macedonian Innovation Jam
by Stefan Alievikj on 21st August, 2012 at 11:08 AM CEST
Have you ever thought what you can make out of old cardboard boxes that you keep in some dusty corner in your basement + styrofoam, plastic bottles, wooden sticks which you have somehow gathered and decided never to use and many many taps of bottles? Neither did we have any idea, but we proved Einstein’s quote “creativity is intelligence having fun”.
Added other ingredients like imagination, empathy and desire for innovation, our C:F Local Hub Gevgelija had the perfect recipe for creating an Innovation Jam session.
We settled down in our favourite local cafe-bar У (U) and started out a innovative Reuse/Redo Workshop flavoured with other C:F activities. It was an extremely hot day and it felt like we were in a desert at the beginning of the workshop. Starting time was 7 PM. We had our juice and stared a bit in the pile of materials which otherwise we would have thrown in the garbage. Our task: to make goodies out of the pile. We divided into few groups and after 20 minutes when everyone got enough courage to start, the crafting began.
One of the groups worked with an artist who was actually the bar-owners. She had collected many bags filled with taps during the past months and we used them together to make the logo of the bar which is really simple (only the U letter on Macedonian), but proved to be challenging task. The group had to divide the taps in colours and then choose which taps would fit best the background. While this group had a concept what is doing, the rest was still waiting for creativity to hit. And it did in an instance of time. The event being opened to all age groups, we were delighted to have few kids among us. They invented new toys and dolls and I am sure I saw somewhere a great styrofoam robot. The romantic souls crafted their own candle boxes and others made jewel boxes with cardboard and old forgotten plasticine from their childhood days.
The event was enriched with few presentations on projects concerning hydroponic gardening (how to grow plants at home), green buildings around the world, as well as presenting C:F in short. And there we go, we broke the routine, we had fun and meaning. We mingled together Challenge:Future, sustainability and good time. The workshop lasted till 10 PM and then we had our Innovation Jam Party with happy songs only!
“I met new people who inspired with their enthusiasm and spirit. Together we made useful items out of nearly useless materials. I am glad I was part of this workshop and I am looking forward to the next one,” says Filip Janevski, a guest member from Skopje who met his C:F fellows in Gevgelija.
“It was an interesting idea for such workshop to be held in our community. I also participated with a little hydroponic gardening project. Firstly we provided ourselves with all the needed information about hydroponics for different plants and we decided to try it on our own. We put some wheat seeds on a cotton dipped in water. We also put some of the seeds in water with sugar to compare which will grow faster. It was successful experiment through which we proved that you can do hydroponics at home,” says Marija Stojanova, member of our local hub.
Mystery thing is: it rained out of nowhere later in the evening. And we had no rain for 2 months. The question is: Are Innovation Jam sessions good for enhancing weather conditions? :)
So, dear C:F fellows when will you be cooking your C:F Innovation Jam in your local hub/chapter?
Stefan Alievikj
Stef, you have done an amazing job. I believe c:f opened a new ground of inspiration for Gevgelija's youth! And this is my favorite part of the story: Are Innovation Jam sessions good for enhancing weather conditions? :>
I bow to Stefan! :)
21st August, 2012 @ 4:09 PM CEST
Stefan Alievikj | C:F staff
@Ana, well looking forward to make another Innovation Jam altogether in Skopje as well. :)) We will have plenty of time between classes to shape the idea :D
@Bistra, yes and I believe we won't stop here:). Already recruited new members through the event.
And about enhancing weather conditions - well yes, someone said during the workshop "Let's chant Native American songs and praise the sky to rain"... funny it happened. and I say it is the C:F spirit which caused the rain.
Stef bows back! Cheers! :))
21st August, 2012 @ 4:33 PM CEST
Andreja Kodrin (C:F Management) | Action team | CF Chapters
Congratulation Stefan & Gevgelija CF team!!
PS - At the moment many parts of the world, including Europe, are suffering from the water shortage, so please, do consider "The World Tour".
21st August, 2012 @ 5:06 PM CEST
Stefan Alievikj | C:F staff
Thank you Andreja; On the serious hand, I personally don't remember such intensively hot summer. Situation as already said, is critical. I wish we could do real magic and enhance weather conditions.
21st August, 2012 @ 6:27 PM CEST
Jovana Djurkovic | Action team | CF Chapters
Wow, well done Stefan for organizing such a great event. :)) I enjoyed reading the article :D
22nd August, 2012 @ 10:46 AM CEST
Samuel Duru | Action team
Hey Stefan and his C:F Macedonia crew! I cherish what you guys did. For me, that's a typical example of walking the talk of sustainability. Innovation has no rules - it's spontaneous, and you wonderful guys proved that.
23rd August, 2012 @ 3:37 PM CEST
Hajdi Kostova | Action team
Great initiative Stefan ^_^ you are spreading the C:F spirit at large! You serve as an inspiration for other C:F members and especially local representatives :)
Gongrats on the successful session =D
5th September, 2012 @ 3:34 AM CEST
you have done an amazing and wonderfull job.
really so amazing.......................
10th April, 2013 @ 2:00 PM CEST
Ana Mihajloska | Action team
Good job guys, keep up the good work! I love the idea of a C:F Innovation Jam and I hope we in Skopje will be able to do a thing like that in the near future.
21st August, 2012 @ 3:28 PM CEST