Recycled & re-used clothing design through peer learning and social media Erasmus Project

Project Title

Recycled & re-used clothing design through peer learning and social media

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 : Strategic Partnerships for adult education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2014

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Disabilities – special needs; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; Inclusion – equity

Project Summary

Previously loved items deserve a second chance to inspire us again; people with mental health problems deserve a second chance to take control of their life. In today’s throw-away society it seems that nothing is valuable, that we can change our clothes or even the people around us in the blink of an eye. We want people to return to valuing what is all around them; show them that creativity, lifelong learning and empathy are powerful tools than can change the world!

Chic&Craft is an on-line training course specially designed for people with mental health issues which aims to re-use and recycle second-hand clothes and waste materials, creating a unique European fashion brand where hand-craft designs and original creations play a major role. Hand-craft is a therapeutic activity; through crafts, people can express themselves in a safe, non-threatening manner, which may be easier than sharing their internal feelings verbally. Inspired by this way of understanding the world, a complete set of training modules have been created including creative ideas to implement with vulnerable training groups. 63 people with mental illness have been trained in Spain, Slovenia, Germany, Greece and Lithuania during six months. Feedback from these experiences helped us to improve the quality of the teaching materials developed and, hopefully, will inspire other organizations to reproduce it in the future.

The key innovative factor in this training course lies in the methodology of peer learning which complements the recycling textiles technical knowledge. The figure of the peer mentor has been created to help the trainees to realise their hidden abilities and commit with their own learning process. Peer learning is mutually beneficial and involves the sharing of knowledge, ideas and experience between the participants. Through practical experiences, trainees achieved to develop skills in organizing activities, working with others in a collaborative way, giving and receiving feedback and assessing their own learning process. A practical toolkit is available on the platform, including tips and suggestions to apply peer learning to empower people with mental illness, being applicable also to other training courses.

Chic&Craft is an explosive mix of creativity, imagination, artistic expression, responsibility, recovery, communication, team building and autonomy. Their hands, their willingness to learn and work, together with some support, is all they need to change their world.

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Las prendas que un día nos enamoraron merecen una segunda oportunidad para volver a inspirarnos; del mismo modo las personas con malestar psíquico merecen una segunda oportunidad para tomar de nuevo el control sobre sus vidas. En nuestra sociedad actual todo es desechable, parece que nada tenga valor, que podamos cambiar nuestra ropa e incluso las personas a nuestro alrededor en un abrir y cerrar de ojos. Queremos volver a valorar lo que nos rodea ¡demostrar que la creatividad, las ganas de aprender y la empatía son armas poderosas que pueden cambiar el mundo!

Chic & Craft es un curso formativo on-line diseñado para que personas con malestar psíquico aprendan a reutilizar y reciclar prendas de segunda mano y materiales de desecho, creando una marca textil europea en la que juegan un papel relevante los diseños artesanales y las creaciones originales. La artesanía ha demostrado ser una actividad terapéutica con la que podemos expresarnos de forma segura y más fácilmente que de forma verbal. Inspirados por esta forma de entender el mundo, hemos desarrollado unos módulos formativos sobre cómo diseñar prendas creativas, teniendo en cuenta las necesidades especiales de las personas con malestar psíquico. Un total de 63 personas con enfermedad mental se han formado en España, Eslovenia, Alemania, Grecia y Lituania durante seis meses. Lo aprendido durante esta fase nos ha ayudado a mejorar la calidad de los materiales didácticos y esperamos que el ejemplo inspire a otras organizaciones para que en el futuro implementen el curso.

El factor innovador radica en la metodológica basada en el aprendizaje de pares que complementa los conocimientos sobre reciclaje y transformación de textiles. Se ha creado la figura del mentor para ayudar a los alumnos durante la formación y aumentar su motivación. El aprendizaje entre iguales beneficia a ambas partes y conlleva que los participantes compartan conocimientos, ideas y experiencias. A través de ejercicios prácticos, se han entrenado distintas capacidades para comunicar, trabajar con otras personas, escuchar y evaluar su propio proceso de aprendizaje. Esta guía incluye además consejos para aplicar el apoyo de pares a la hora de capacitar personas con enfermedad mental que pueden ser aplicables a cualquier otro tipo de curso formativo.

Chic & Craft es una mezcla explosiva de creatividad, imaginación, expresión artística, responsabilidad, recuperación, comunicación y autonomía.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 184233,74 Eur

Project Coordinator

FUNDACION INTRAS & Country: ES

Project Partners

• OZARA storitveno in invalidsko podjetje d.o.o.
• IASIS
• VIESOJI ISTAIGA VALAKUPIU REABILITACIJOS CENTRAS
• CHRISTLICHES JUGENDDORFWERK DEUTSCHLANDS GEMEINNUTZIGER EV (CJD)