Message Wear: Supporting Youth Groups Through Entrepreneurship and Design Erasmus Project

Project Title

Message Wear: Supporting Youth Groups Through Entrepreneurship and Design

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 youth

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2015

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Creativity and culture; Youth (Participation, Youth Work, Youth Policy) ; Entrepreneurial learning – entrepreneurship education

Project Summary

MessageWear is a transnational youth initiative between young people in Tallinn and Riga. MessageWear aims to support youth groups involved in dance, music, art and sports from Latvia and Estonia by creating and sustaining a street-wear brand that will contribute to the development of the youth groups. We believe that we can empower and lead by example. Learning about entrepreneurship and helping local youth is what we think makes MessageWear special. The project will run in the period of August 2015 to September 2016. The problem as follows is that active youth groups who want to promote their music group, dance crew, local sports team want to feel as a community and want to have uniforms or some wear that would make them seem as a team, crew or group. However in Latvia and Estonia it has been always challenging to find companies willing to invest into this and young people, especially, from the Russian-speaking communities have to either find own resources for creating their identity or have to develop without it. These groups often do not have access to designers, manufacturers and end up without any result or of a low quality. Feeling part of a community and being noticed is crucial for youth groups it often empowers and motivates to proceed with their activities. During the project there will be held two international meetings of young people involved in the project, we will also organize inspirational meetings with designers, have trips to local manufacturers, lead sessions on entrepreneurship and branding. Much of the TYI will be concentrated on creating designs, branding material and promoting the idea of the wear. Created materials together with youth groups will then be spread amongst these youth groups to ensure their empowerment and promotion of the brand. Project participants are expected to finish the project with an understanding of the importance of being active, participating and motivated. Participants will understand the possibilities of such actions and recognize its learning outcomes. With the help of feedback, reflection and evaluation the impact will be seen and understood. The initiative produces products that can have long-term perspective for the participants. MessageWear is seen to be a platform for young people to start acting in the clothing industry and might become a permament brand in the Baltic region.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 21250 Eur

Project Coordinator

MTÜ Shokkin group & Country: EE

Project Partners

• Shokkin Group LATVIJA