Organic Beats Festival - Sustainable Festival of the TU Braunschweig

We urban gardeners are always interested in actively supporting like-minded people. This was also the case with the "Organic Beats Festival," which took place for the first time on June 24, 2017, at the Technical University of Braunschweig. The event wonderfully combined music, workshops, and lots of fun with the hot topic of sustainability. Kevin Kurmann from "Sandkasten - Gestalte deinen Campus," a TU initiative focused on collaborative campus design, was involved from the beginning and let me quiz him afterward.

"It was fantastic! The advance ticket sales were sold out before the festival even started, and we couldn't even offer the planned day tickets. A total of more than 600 people celebrated with us! With each entry wristband, we received a free seed bomb from you, which was a huge hit with the crowd. I expect things will soon be growing wild and blooming in Braunschweig!"

What motivated you to set up such a project?

"The festival was a nonprofit project. We didn't want to make money from it, but rather wanted to create cool projects. If everyone has fun and is happy at the end, that's worth more than all the money in the world. Our motto is: "Participate more than consume!"

What was the mission behind the Organic Beats Festival?

"We wanted to organize a festival that was all about sustainability. Photovoltaic modules and stationary energy storage systems supplied the entire event with electricity. To produce as little waste as possible, we offered our own soda, "Brainwater," in borrowed glass bottles instead of plastic cups. All other drinks were also available directly from the bottle or in returnable glass cups. Anyone who fancied a regional organic bratwurst from Braunschweig or a falafel burger could get them conveniently packaged in a bun. In addition, pocket ashtrays were distributed and a waste separation station was provided. All of these measures meant that we had virtually no work to do when cleaning up after the event. The amount of waste was minimal, and we disposed of it properly afterward."

Apart from the "Organic Beats" - what else did your festival have to offer?

"In addition to the sounds of electronic music and the occasional band, there were numerous pavilions offering a wide variety of workshops. From a theater and beatbox workshop to an acro yoga workshop and a craft workshop, there was something for everyone. Admittedly, we had some reservations about the workshops at first, because we didn't know whether people would prefer to lie on the grass or dance, but we were pleasantly surprised by how well attended the pavilions were throughout the festival. Incidentally, we had expected young people between 23 and 30 years old, since the focus was on electronic music, but in the end, people of all ages, including numerous children, came out to party. We were very pleased."

What else was there to do before the event?

"In addition to all the organizational work, numerous hours of work went into crafting the decorations. Planning the festival took about six months in total, and many weekends were spent building the decorations. Sustainability was our top priority here, too. Instead of simply buying everything, we built decorations from old materials. Examples include a candy bar made from an old display case, a water station made from disposable pallets, seating made from old tires, carpets, and sunshades made from old curtains. We also worked extensively with papier-mâché, as newspapers are plentiful."

Sounds like a complete success! Were there any challenges?

"The numerous requirements that must be observed for an event like this caused a lot of stress. We were also nervous at the beginning about whether we would sell enough tickets. The good thing, however, was that we put a lot of thought into it beforehand and planned everything meticulously. And thanks to the dedicated helpers, everything went like clockwork. At the end, we were all exhausted, but we also agreed that we definitely wanted to do it again."