E-CRAFT: Enhancing adult education to promote upcycling based on Creative Artistics craFTs Erasmus Project

Project Title

E-CRAFT: Enhancing adult education to promote upcycling based on Creative Artistics craFTs

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Partnerships for Creativity

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2020

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Creativity and culture; Inclusion – equity; Intercultural/intergenerational education and (lifelong)learning

Project Summary

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.

Project Website

https://act4inclusion.infoproject.eu/

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 145999 Eur

Project Coordinator

ROSTO SOLIDARIO – ASSOCIACAO DE DESENVOLVIMENTO SOCIAL E HUMANO & Country: PT

Project Partners

• CENTRO INTERNAZIONALE PER LA PROMOZIONE DELL’EDUCAZIONE E LO SVILUPPO ASSOCIAZIONE
• FUNDACION ASPAYM CASTILLA Y LEON