Composting Futures

Join us for Composting Futures, a day of workshops, hands-on experiments and demonstrations to celebrate the installation of Compost Computer at MUD - a compost-powered server and low-carbon website designed in collaboration with University of Arts London Critical Climate Computing Institute and FutureEverything.

As the climate crisis escalates, small-scale, replicable technologies like Compost Computer offer urgent alternatives to the energy intensive infrastructure of corporate tech. Located within the soil at MUD’s outdoor community growing space, Platt Fields Market Garden in Manchester, the Compost Computer is an off-grid server powered by bio-energy from decomposing organic waste. The energy created will power FutureEverything’s newly designed website, created using low-carbon principles and lightweight code.

This special event brings together people from Greater Manchester’s growing community and tech enthusiasts to explore the low-carbon ideas behind the Compost Computer and to see how compost is essential, not just in the project, but to healthy ecosystems.

The morning activities will explore the primary component of the Compost Computer, the compost itself. Get your hands dirty learning how to make your own compost in a workshop led by Greater Manchester social enterprise Sow the City. Then explore techniques and devices to sample and assess soil health in soil fertility activities hosted by the University of Manchester and MUD. FutureEverything will also host a participatory conversation exploring practices for approaching compost as kin, inspired by our transition to bring Nature onto our Board.

In the afternoon, the University of Arts London Critical Climate Computing team will present live demonstrations showcasing the design and function of the hardware powering the Compost Computer’s fuel cell. This is followed by a software demonstration exploring the low-carbon principles and compost inspired design informing FutureEverything’s new website. To conclude the day, Compost Computer creators Mariana Marangoni and Shinji Toya will host an intimate coding workshop for those keen to enhance low carbon web design knowledge and skills.

We hope that these activities will give you an insight into the possibilities of low-carbon, regenerative technology, the ways in which compost and digital infrastructure can coexist, and how you can replicate the technology to create your own compost power source!

A vegan lunch will be provided to all that attend this event, courtesy of MUD kitchen with support from University of Manchester.

Date: September 5th, 2025

Time: 10am - 5pm (Gates open at 9:30am)

Cost: £6 (Limited free tickets are available to those on modest incomes)

Location: MUD Community Gardens, Platt Fields Park, Fallowfield, Manchester M14 6LT

Workshop overview:

Morning workshops

A short introduction to composting with Sow the City: This short introduction to composting will cover the stages of the process, the basic method, and the benefits it brings. Participants will also learn what nutrients healthy compost should contain and how to recognise when it’s ready to use.

Compost as Kin with FutureEverything: This participatory conversation offers a taste of FutureEverything’s research to reorientate how we relate to nature - as kin. We’ll explore sensory practices for understanding ecosystems health and acknowledging the life-forms that make up the compost and bring our Compost Computer to life. These practices have been devised in collaboration with FutureEverything’s Working Group as part of bringing Nature on to the Board of FutureEverything.

Understanding soil fertility with University of Manchester and MUD: This workshop provides practical tools and insights to assess soil fertility, with activities ranging from assessing soil profiles and using microscopy to demonstrations of scientific equipment to assess elements in soil. You’ll also learn about how to run bioassays at home to assess soil fertility.

Afternoon workshops

A deep dive into the Compost Computer hardware with UAL: This workshop introduces the Microbial Fuel Cells (MFCs) that power the Compost Computer Project. Members of UAL’s Critical Climate Computing group will talk through the history of MFC technology, explore its potential futures, and explain how they have applied it to run the compost-powered web server for FutureEverything. Audiences will get to see the MFCs in action, and be given a complete breakdown of how to make their very own compost-powered MFC.

Exploring the Compost Computer web design with UAL: This workshop will demonstrate the methods for low-carbon web design that the Critical Climate Computing team used to redesign the FutureEverything website to run on the Compost Computer. Lead artists Mariana Marangoni and Shinji Toya will share the history of low-carbon computing design, and the approaches they have used (and invented) for the Compost Computer project, and how they can be used in other contexts.

A hands-on coding workshop with Compost Computer creators: Join Mariana Marangoni and Shinji Toya for a hands-on coding workshop exploring creative approaches to low-carbon web design. Working directly with the artists, you’ll experiment with code and discover new ways to build sustainable websites.

Please note: This workshop requires separate booking as places are limited. If you’d like to take part, send us a message via Eventbrite and we’ll share the link to reserve your spot.

Discover more about Compost Computer by following the link HERE.

This event has been created in collaboration with FutureEverything, UAL Critical Climate Computing team, MUD, the University of Manchester, and Sow the City.