When I left for Milan to attend the W_UP Workcamp at Cascinet, I didn’t have many expectations, except to learn new upcycling techniques and how to reduce my environmental impact through actions in everyday life.
However, from the first days of the project, it became clear that the experience would not be limited to just this and that we weren’t just there to recycle stuff. This project turned into a week filled with learning, creating, and making friends from all over the world. The work camp was like a gathering with people from different countries. We all spoke different languages and we came from different cultures, but we shared the same mindset and the love for taking care of the environment. It was amazing to see how we could work together and learn from each other, even with our cultural differences. During the day, we had workshops and projects where we learned how to turn old things into new and useful stuff.
It was super fun and creative and we always had the opportunity to talk with the organisers and decide togheter with the group the kind of activities we wanted to attend. We also had the opportunity to visit a lot of interesting places, such as art exhibitions with pieces made with upcycling techniques and the “Museo Nazionale Scienza e Tecnologia Leonardo da Vinci” in Milan. These visits were organised very effectively, allowing participants to learn many notions while having fun and discovering new places. We also had some group projects, where we could work together to create new objects starting from the garbage that we found close to Cascinet.
We all had our unique ideas, and it was exciting to see how people from different cultures could collaborate between them to create something unique. In the evenings, we had international food nights. Everyone brought dishes from their home countries, and we shared a lot of amazing moments cooking together with the help of the amazing Valentina, who was managing the kitchen in Cascinet during the project. During cultural nights we danced, sang, and shared traditions from our countries. All participants brought from their countries food and drink typical of their culture, explaining the importance and telling traditional stories to the group. They were unforgettable moments that made the experience even more unique and enriching.
Living together in the same place made everything even more interesting. We shared rooms and worked together on daily tasks. This wasn’t just about cleaning or organising but also about learning how people from different places approach things. It definitely brought us closer as a group. As the week went by, we became more than just people working on upcycling projects. We became a community of friends who cared about each other and the environment. Looking back, this work camp taught me that upcycling isn’t just about recycling materials. It’s about bringing people together, sharing ideas, and creating something new and meaningful.
I believe that this type of project is a unique opportunity to learn all kinds of topics, but especially to create connections and friendships with people from all over the world! I would recommend it to anyone who wants to specialise in a subject but also want to expand their mentality.
Thanks, Cascinet for this amazing opportunity!
