The first come.unity DJ Workshop started with a simple observation: learning a new creative skill can be intimidating when the spaces around it already feel established. Together with Soundboks, we created a DJ workshop specifically for FLINTA participants who wanted to explore DJing in an environment where they could learn, experiment and make mistakes without feeling judged from the outside. Led by DJ Shari Who, the workshop brought a small group together for a hands-on introduction to DJing and created space for questions, practice and exchange. The response showed how strong the need for this kind of access was. Within 24 hours of announcing the workshop, more than 250 people applied for only eight available places.
Rather than designing the workshop around reach, we deliberately kept the group small. With only eight participants, the focus was on creating an environment where everyone had enough time with the equipment, direct access to the mentor and the freedom to learn at their own pace. Soundboks supported the format as a partner, while come.unity developed and organized the experience around the needs of the community. The workshop combined practical DJ skills with peer exchange and helped lower the barrier to entering a space that can often feel difficult to access without existing knowledge, equipment or networks.
More than 250 applications within 24 hours for eight available places demonstrated a clear demand for accessible and safer learning spaces within the community. The impact also continued beyond the workshop itself. Participants including Rice & Stew, Steph and Celecta continued developing their practice and later established themselves as DJs, turning what started as an opportunity to learn and experiment into part of their professional creative paths. The response to the first workshop became an important signal for come.unity and helped shape the continued development of educational and skill-sharing formats that later became part of come.unity Lab.
