mailout

There’s a lot more to upcycling than sewing some buttons on an old bag – Industri[us] is a totally new and entirely upcycled space in East London that celebrates the best of British ingenuity with the Festival of Upcycling.

Situated directly opposite Canning Town tube and DLR, Industri[us] occupies a space that was previously home to a block of flats. With the buildings being demolished and the space awaiting redevelopment, the Mayor of London and Newham Council ran a competition for an ingenious idea to occupy the ‘meanwhile space’ that would benefit the local economy and community.

And so, Industri[us] was born.

Taking the pop-up concept to a whole new level, Industri[us] is created entirely from borrowed, repurposed or reusable materials. From excess Olympics roadwork paving, to plants from Chelsea Flower Show, the site is totally ‘packable’ and can be broken down and recreated on another space at the end of the term.

Industri[us] is supporting a number of existing upcycling businesses and start-ups, many from the local area, in the custom-built scaffolding Make/Shift Market – making and selling products ranging from furniture and art, to jewellery and fashion. This space will also hold an exhibition area ‘Uplifted Choices’ showcasing works by the pioneers of upcycling.

A two-storey tall robot created from pallets and discarded wood will greet visitors, while an Artlypmics wall painted by local artists will frame the space. You can also pop into the Cockney Museum’s bendy bus on site from early August.

A full calendar of events will run through the summer, from upcycling workshops and family fun days to contests in the Ping Pong Pavilion and catwalk shows to coincide with London Fashion Week.

Chow down at the Urban Feasts street food market, serving locally produced food with an international flavour every weekend.

Industri[us] will run for three months over the summer of 2012. Organisers are expecting a footfall of up to 7,000 people a day, as the venue is situated on a main walking route to the Excel Centre, one of the main Olympic and Paralympic venues.

For more information, visit the Industri[us] website: http://www.industri-us.org/