Biotoopia`23 & Kopli 93: Kombucha drink making workshop

Designer/course leader: Riina Õun

Date & time: 9th of May, 6 PM – 8 PM

Nr of participants: up to 12 people.

The workshop registration is closed.

On May 9, from 18:00 to 20:00, Biotopia will visit the Kopli 93 community (address: Kopli 93, Tallinn), where we will discover the mysteries of the mushroom world together in a Kombucha drink workshop. You are welcome to join us!

Mushrooms are everywhere. They can be found in the soil, the air, our food and our bodies. They shape the world around us in ways that are often invisible but very deeply intertwined with the rest of the environment. Fungi are the only organisms that have survived the global extinction processes that occurred earlier in history.

Fungi are capable of creating huge underground networks known as mycelium that can stretch for miles and connect multiple individuals and species. These networks allow the exchange of nutrients, information and even genetic material between organisms.

Fungi have played a critical role in the evolution of life on earth, from the early colonization of the earth to the development of complex ecosystems. They continue to shape the world around us in ways that are only beginning to be understood.

In the workshop, the participant can perceive the capabilities of mushrooms and take home the new life created. During the workshop you will learn how to ferment and brew kombucha beverage. You will also take away your very own SCOBY(symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast) to start brewing the drink at home. Kombucha is raw fermented tea that boosts the body’s immune system and maintains a healthy gut with a variety of beneficial acids. The sweet sugary black tea is fermented by bacteria and yeast combination, known as SCOBY. The ingredients left to ferment in a warm environment for a period of time result in a delicious, refreshing and nutrient dense drink. The SCOBY itself, once grown thick, can be developed into a novel biomaterial.

Riina will teach step by step how to start fermenting your own kombucha and show what can be done with the leftover SCOBY. Riina has conducted extensive material research at Green Lab in London and during her MA at Material Futures course at Central Saint Martins, exploring the possibilities of the alternative material. She will present her research samples to offer food for thought and inspiration.
The communication language of the workshop is decided on the spot. If among the participants there are people whose mother tongue is not Estonian, the workshop will be held in English with simultaneous translation.

Contact

info@biotoopia.ee
Saara Silvia Soasepp
Biotoopia events manager

Graphic design: Riina Õun

On 11-13 May 2023 the international hybrid conference BIOTOOPIA will take place in the Tallinn Botanic Garden and Maarjamäe Wasteland in Estonia’s capital city. The conference’s theme this year is UNDERGROUND NETWORKS. The workshp is part of the pre-programme. Read more on our website: www.biotoopia.ee

The workshop will take place within the framework of the Biotopia`23 conference and the Centrinno project.Read more about the projects here: www.biotoopia.ee and centrinno.eu/about

Sponsors: Liivalill, Kuuldeaparaadid, Medivar.

Supporters:  Tallinn – European Green Capital 2023, Tallinn Botanic Garden, Estonian Cultural Endowment, Republic of Estonia Ministry of Culture, Republic of Estonia Ministry of Environment, Civil Society Foundation, Muulin, JANKEN WISESPACE.

Partners: Tallinn University, Tartu University, Event Media, Nagel Consulting, Citizen OS, Postimees, Krisostomus, Hop gallery, Hobusepea gallery, Kopli 93.

Biotoopia is organized by the Estonian Anthropocene Center NPO.

BIO: Riina Õun is a multi-disciplinary designer and a researcher. She is a graduate of MA Material Futures at Central Saint Martins in London, specialising in biodesign, materials research and development within the circular economy. Her background is in leather accessories, particularly in hand-crafted luxury leather gloves for her brand Riina O. Riina´s goal is to explore how craft has to adapt to working with bio-materials, aiming to bring the materials out of the experimentation stage into practical use in the industry.