16 cabinetmakers/joiners (including 13 internationals and 3 Austrians) under the age of 25 were invited to partake in the International Young Adult Furniture Making Invitational (IYAFMI) 2019 on March 18-24. 13 international invitees were assigned to 3 different teams (Team David, Team Nick, and Team Tomohiro) led by 3 Team Leaders who were eager to share their previous WWD experiences with the first-timers. Moreover, Team Austria was formed by 2 two-time IYAFMI participants and 1 new invitee to represent the host country, Austria, and design a special project combining Austrian cultural elements into the theme Change.
All invitees were scheduled to join the museum tour and had an opportunity to explore and enjoy their first day at the Austrian Open-Air Museum Stübing. In the following 5 days, every invitee had 36 hours to complete their individual project and assist their team leader in the team project, whereas members of Team Austria were primarily responsible for their special project. Everyone began the day with 10 fingers and smile on the face, and finished the day with 10 fingers and the same smile on their face.
By March 23, 10 individual projects and 4 collaborative projects were created and displayed to celebrate as part of the World Wood Day 2019. Each and every piece of furniture built by invitees was their own interpretation of CHANGE with elements of their cultural background and contribution to the WWD 2019. The 4 collaborative projects were being exhibited at Stefaniensaal in Graz on March 24 to showcase the level of skills and collaboration work from the project invitees. The IYAFMI 2019, as Steve Bulman, the Project Manager concluded, “we’re more than friends, we’re a big family, and we don’t say goodbye, we say see you later.”