The “E-Crafts” project aims at two major dimensions, both the Social and the Artistic., focusing on the education and training of adults with fewer opportunities, in order for them to develop new competencies regarding sustainability and well-being, through Arts and Crafts activities. This project has risen in a pandemic scenario, which has been affecting the most vulnerable and fragile sections of the population worldwide and in a very particular way, the social groups that were already the most vulnerable and the entire cultural and artistic sector, aggravating issues already felt by them. Because of all this, the “E-Crafts” is born, a project whose main goal is to contribute to the training of adults with tools that enhance the exercise of Creativity in the search for innovative solutions in response to the current challenges of environmental preservation, intersectoral cooperation, preserve knowledge and cultural heritage, promoting social inclusion and people's well-being. Therefore, the project envisions the interaction between different beneficiaries, all of them affected by the pandemics, laying the foundations to positive outcomes for all, along the process as well as results: artists and craftsmen, the elderly, the adults, the handicaped, the migrants and the social workers. The project is promoted by three NGO's from Portugal - Rosto Solidário, from Spain - ASPAYM, and from Italy - CEIPES whose common denominators are: a history of active work with adults, especially with groups with fewer opportunities; all NGO's come from countries and regions where the cultural dimension and traditions of handcrafts can be capitalized; they have experience implementing projects with young people and adults and developing educational materials. Complementing this consortium, other associates and local partnerships will emerge throughout the project in order to give voice and turn to artists and craftmen in the region, with plans to involve local institutions that have already carried out / carry out actions involving these citizens, whether from artistic or technological schools, associations of artist /craftmen. This project is framed with a non-formal and informal approach in all of its stages: development, test and dissemination of intellectual outputs that provide adult learning: the development of competences through the use and appreciation of creativity and art, as well as environmental awareness through Upcycling activities (promoting waste reduction and less raw-materials exploration). The proposed methodology is based on active and horizontal cooperation between the three partners within a methodological framework based on the involvement of stakeholders, participatory methodologies and the promotion of a dialogue on issues of creativity, inclusion, entrepreneurship and the environment. Crosswise, it is intended to implement activities based on the concept of Artistic Residency. Working as an “incubator” of aesthetic and reflexive initiatives in the context of Adult Education, as well as boost of energy in arts and crafts, at a local level.The participants will, therefore, be artists, craftsmen/women, ONG workers and volunteers, whom will test the Upcycling approach based on a linear sharing of knowledge. The expected outcomes are: IO1Training Guidelines that will have a methodology proposal on Adult Education; adapted to vulnerable people such as the elderly, people with disabilities and migrants, based on the promotion of upcycling workshops; IO2 Educational Videos Toolkit which, made available on an online platform, will contain 18 videos with upcycling techniques presented step by step. IO3 Sustainability plan that will present future scenarios of social entrepreneurship as a way to continue the project. In addition, the project also provides transnational meetings, a transnational training in an artistic residency format that will bring together 27 participants. Multiplier events will also be organized in artistic residency formats, one per country. During the project, the direct beneficiaries will be 212 people, of which 137 artists / craftmen / educators / technicians and 69 learners. In producing innovative adult education resources, it is expected that two years after the end of the project, a group of 150 organizations will have used them. On the other hand, they will also be used by a diverse target group, from technicians and / or artists who use the materials to streamline their own sessions to adults with fewer opportunities (elderly, minorities, people with disabilities) who use the videos in a do-it-yourself logic.
The general objective of the project was to contribute to the training of adults with the tools that enhance the exercise of Creativity in the search for innovative solutions in response to the current challenges of environmental preservation, intersectoral cooperation, preserving knowledge and cultural heritage, promoting social inclusion and people's well-being. The specific objectives of the project included: - Valuing the cultural heritage of people and local communities in terms of crafts and handicrafts; - Promoting artists and art as a way of valuing adults in a vulnerable context, local culture and the reuse of products through upcycling; - Promoting people's social, emotional and mental well-being, valuing culture and its knowledge; - Develop innovative educational proposals that promote upcycling; - Sharing different local cultures, in the European context in a context of economic and health crisis.
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected all segments of the population worldwide and, in a very particular way, social groups that were already in a vulnerable conext before: people in poverty, unemployed, elderly, people with disabilities, young people, indigenous peoples, migrants and others. These groups were at extreme risk due to heavy reliance on the informal economy, unequal access to social services, limited adaptive capacities and limited access to technologies. The pandemic has aggravated these conditions: fewer job opportunities, increased economic precariousness, fragility of mental health, increased social exclusion, among others. In the European social context, the list of citizens in risk of vulnerability includes workers in informal professional areas (eg culture and tourism), adult citizens in a potential situation of job loss or long-term unemployment, elderly citizens and citizens with disabilities. In fact, in the context of the pandemic, the cultural and artistic sector has been deeply affected. According to Eurostat, this area employs around 3.7% of the active population in the EU, with 32% of these workers being self-employed. However, before the pandemic, the difficulty that artists/craftspeople had in disseminating and marketing their art/traditional knowledge, that is, their products, was already a known reality. The context of a socioeconomic pandemic has aggravated these issues. It has therefore become urgent to support these citizens with the promotion of creative and innovative opportunities that lead to the acquisition of the necessary tools and skills that allow them to face the current risks and social challenges. Craftsmanship is valued for the existence of a final product, as a result of structured manual work, quantifiable and capable of multiple reproductions. A handmade object can appeal in a very concrete way to “do-it-yourself”, leading to an appropriation of the technique and a cultural and local reference. Handicrafts thus seem more accessible to the public, both in terms of acquisition and learning. Environmental issues were also considered in this project, in view of the necessary reduction in consumption by society. Thus, we approach upcycling, a movement that promotes "do-it-yourself" logic and that can be defined as a process of reusing objects and materials to create new products, often with different functions, without changing the main characteristics of the original object. Within the scope of this project, there was interaction between different beneficiaries, all of whom were deeply affected by the pandemic, with positive consequences for all, both in terms of process and expected results. Thus, in summary, the project sought to work on the needs leveraged by the pandemic, mainly with regard to: - inclusion of people in a context of vulnerability - promotion of traditional handicraft and knowledge - reuse of materials to reduce consumption and contribute to the preservation of the environment - contribution to increased well-being among beneficiaries