Project Name: E-Crafts: Enhancing adult education to promote upcycling based on Creative Artistic Crafts
Project Number: 2020-1-PT01-KA227-ADU-094892
Duration: 24 Months
Coordinator: ROSTO SOLIDARIO – Associacao de Desenvolvimento Social e Humano
Funded by: European Commission under the Erasmus+ program KA2 – Cooperation for innovation and exchange of good practices – KA227 – Partnership for creativity
Partners: CEIPES – CENTRO INTERNAZIONALE PER LA PROMOZIONE DELL’EDUCAZIONE E LO SVILUPPO ASSOCIAZIONE (Italy), FUNDACION ASPAYM CASTILLA Y LEON (Spain), ROSTO SOLIDARIO – Associacao de Desenvolvimento Social e Humano (Portugal).
On June 18, 2021, the Kickoff Meeting (KOM) of the project “E-Crafts: Enhancing adult education to promote upcycling based on Creative Artistic Crafts” was held; due to the COVID-19 emergency, unfortunately, the meeting was held online.
The KOM was a great moment of sharing and confrontation made possible by the organizational ability of the project coordinator and the solid cooperation between the European partners, with a long-lasting collaboration that involves them in other projects too.
The E-Crafts project stems from the need to act in a context in which the COVID-19 pandemic has affected all segments of the population, worsening the already precarious condition of vulnerable social groups: people in poverty, unemployed, elderly, people with disabilities, young people, migrants. In this project, there will be an interaction between different beneficiaries, all deeply affected by the pandemic, aiming at increasing social inclusion and cohesion and strengthening cultural identities.
The project has an artistic and social dimension that results in the enhancement of culture in artistic and craft activities, carried out through a participatory dialogue. It has also an environmental purpose, with the development of UpCycling activities. In the context of Circular Economy, the activity of UpCycling proposes the reuse of old and/or worn-out objects, in an exercise of creativity and, at the same time, of sustainability towards the environment. The activity goes beyond the idea of conventional recycling, as it creates objects with social, cultural, and economic value.
For this purpose, the partnership aims to develop the following Intellectual Outputs:
IO1: A handbook with methodological guidelines for adult education, adapted to vulnerable adults such as the elderly, people with disabilities and migrants, based on upcycling workshops.
IO2: A toolkit with educational video tutorials guiding do-it-yourself upcycling activities in the context of adult education.
IO3: A sustainability plan that consists in outlining a future plan on sustainability and entrepreneurship for the multiple stakeholders involved.
The KOM began with a brief introduction of the partnership organizations, going ahead with a general introduction of the project and the related organizational work plans. The development of Intellectual Outputs is the guideline to achieve the specific goal of the project that is to contribute to the empowerment of adults through some tools that promote creativity, seeking innovative solutions, in response to current challenges related to: environmental conservation; intersectoral cooperation; preservation of knowledge and cultural heritage, while promoting social inclusion and personal well-being based on their motivations, expectations and needs.
During the next months, the partners will meet for a discussion, to get into the heart of the project and begin to structure the training activities.
To learn more about the project follow the CEIPES social accounts on: Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter.