Learning Labs 2024/25

Open Call: Foster Sustainability through Creativity in Textiles & Fashion

CREATIVE FLIP launches OPEN CALL for CULTURAL & CREATIVE ORGANISATIONS & SMEs active in the field of SUSTAINABLE TEXTILES & FASHION

WHAT

10 cooperation projects on sustainable fashion between CCSI and schools

WHEN

Implementation period January 2025 – July 2025

SUPPORT

5.000 € per Learning Lab

DEADLINE

Apply by 24. October 2024

Are you ready to inspire the next generation of creatives and lead the way in sustainable fashion education? Do you want to make a lasting impact in the Cultural and Creative Sectors by teaching students essential skills and values?

For the third time, Creative FLIP is launching an Open Call for Cultural and Creative Sector and Industry (CCSI) organisations and Small and Medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) interested in establishing innovative co-creation projects with schools, introducing students to creative professions and skills in the field of textiles and sustainable fashion.

As part of this activity, students will explore creative and transversal skills, while discussing and learning about related topics such as sustainability and the importance of protecting and respecting intellectual property and creations. 

Become one of 10 Creative Facilitators and bring your co-creation project to life as part of the Learning Labs Program (LLabs) 2024-25
Financial and organisational support to conceptualise and implement your project will be provided.

Check out the Open Call & requirements below.

Why the focus on Sustainable Fashion?
Discussions around sustainable fashion have reached both European and national levels. The fashion industry is the world’s third most polluting industry after fossil fuels and agriculture. Overconsumption, driven by the increasing popularity of cheap, low-quality fashion products from fast fashion chains, is a major contributor to this issue. Additionally, environmental and human rights issues in textile manufacturing have long been overlooked. The EU leads efforts to shift from fast fashion to circular fashion and social sustainability.
By integrating sustainable fashion practices into educational settings, these Learning Labs aim to empower young people to become advocates for a more sustainable, greener, and just future, instilling early awareness, encouraging sustainable practices, and highlighting the fashion industry's impact on both people and the planet.

Our Textiles and Fashion Expert Team

LOTTOZERO, Prato, Italy
Lottozero is a centre for textile design, art and culture based in Prato, which operates both as a consultancy studio and as a creative hub, divided into a gallery/exhibition area, a shared studio space/coworking and an open fab-lab for textile production, experimentation and research. Lottozero works with designers, artists, brands and institutions, providing personalised services and resources to anyone concerned with the world of textiles, textile art and fashion.


ELENA IANESELLI
Elena Ianeselli is Director of Fashion Design and Sustainability at Lottozero. She graduated in Fashion Design and Theories and specialised in Textile Design & Trends and Fashion Product Industrialization. With over seven years at Lottozero, Elena has been deeply involved in research projects centred on sustainable design, production, and consumption models, giving her a comprehensive understanding of the environmental and social challenges facing the fashion industry.


Info session on Intellectual Property for the Fashion Industry, hosted by IPIL

Why do creations need to be protected and what is the process of IP protection? 
During this 2-hour (including Q&A) information session, our experts Onur and Cyrille from IPIL highlighted the importance of IP in the context of creative works and the respect for others' IP, using examples from the fashion industry.  

Click here to watch the information session.

Ask the Expert: Q&A Session for Learning Labs Applicants 

On October 16, the Creative FLIP team in cooperation with the Learning Labs experts from Lottozero hosted a Q&A session for potential Learning Labs applicants, giving them the opportunity to ask questions about their potential Learning Labs program.
Doubts got clarified, ideas exchanged and knowledge on helpful resources for their application was given. 

If you missed the session, have a look at our presentation.

Applicants (Creative Facilitators) should be established CCSI organisations or SMEs with a legal personality, such as cultural and youth centres, creative hubs, textile labs, maker spaces and others, from one of the 40 Creative Europe countries:

Albania, Austria, Armenia, Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Kosovo, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Tunisia and Ukraine.


The Learning Labs Program will enable students to enlarge their creative and transversal skills through project-based work and to get a first-hand impression on different types of work in the field of fashion. The program aims to test innovative methods of integrating those skills in formal education.

Further, LLabs aim to draw attention to and create awareness about the importance of IP in the context of creative works and the respect of others’ IP: Why do creations need to be protected and what is the process of IP protection?

Finally, the program will strengthen cross-sectoral cooperation between the CCSI and Education, stimulating long-term collaboration to the benefit of both parties and making use of existing synergies.

Want to know more about our previous LLabs?

Check out the results of the previous two rounds:

Learning Labs 2022/2023

Learning Labs 2020/2021

A Learning Lab is a cooperation project between a Creative Facilitator and a local primary or secondary school.

It comprises a series of min. 6 workshops (90+ minutes each), which cover the following topics: 

  • Fashion Industry & Careers: Showcase different occupations across the value chain, e.g. fashion designer, tailor, raw material farmer, salesperson and (if possible) arrange meetings with professionals from different segments.
  • Fashion & Sustainability: Discuss environmental impact of textile processes, fast fashion and the overall fashion industry.
  • Intellectual Property Rights in the field of fashion: Learn about protecting creative work, design and infringement, with interesting case studies from the fashion world. Material and Resources will be provided by Creative FLIP.
  • Behind the scenes: Visit a textile factory or company, fashion manufacturers, finishing mills, tailors, shoemakers, design studio, raw material farmers, exhibition or similar.
  • Re-think Fashion: Implement a hands-on co-creation project activity that enables students to further engage with sustainable fashion (e.g. upcycling, sustainable dyes, repurposing clothes, embroidery).
  • Showcasing Results: Present students' work to the school community.

Please keep in mind to adjust the complexity of the content according to the students' age, school level and prior knowledge.

Other requirements:

Learning Labs should be

  • organised in person
  • organised as part of regular classes or extra-curricular, but always in close cooperation with a school representative
  • ideally involve minimum one school class (approx. 20 children or more, depending on class size) throughout the whole programme, i.e in all workshops
  • organised between January 2025 and July 2025

As part of the Learning Lab program, the selected Creative Facilitators will meet and exchange their experience during the Learning Labs Peer Exchange from 25-27 November 2024 in Prato, Italy. (Participation is obligatory)

 Participation in the Learning Labs Program foresees the following benefits:

  • Financial support of 5.000 EUR (gross)

Full budget for the design and implementation of a Learning Lab (total of 6 or more workshops). This lump sum will be paid in two instalments, based on a cooperation agreement between selected candidates and the Creative FLIP project. The budget should go towards working hours of Creative Facilitators, development and design of learning materials, production costs, venue-related costs (cleaning, electricity, technical equipment, etc.), photo and video documentation of Learning Labs, catering/refreshments for final showcasing event and other relevant costs.

  • Learning Labs Peer Exchange: The Creative Facilitators will meet to deepen their knowledge and exchange on their experience on organising Learning Labs in the inspiring halls of Lottozerro, based in Prato (Italy).  The Learning Labs Peer Exchange will take place from 25-27 November 2024. We kindly ask you to save the date!

The logistical organisation of the Learning Labs Peer Exchange lies in the responsibilities of the Creative FLIP management team. Additional to the financial support of 5.000 EUR (gross), the Creative FLIP project will cover travel and subsistence costs related to the 1,5 days peer exchange. 

  • Educational materials delivered by Creative FLIP partners to Creative Facilitators, to enable them to transfer knowledge on IPR to the students
  • Promotion of your LLab on social media, with the European Commission and other relevant stakeholders
  • Becoming part of the Creative FLIP community, networking with other Learning Lab projects across Europe and neighbourhood countries
  • Inclusion of best practice cases on Creatives Unite platform, drafted by the Creative FLIP Project Team

Creative Facilitators are expected to:

  • Demonstrate solid knowledge of the topic of Sustainable Fashion 
  • Conduct min. 6 workshops of 90 min each, in line with the requirements stated under “What is a LLab”
  • Participate in the Learning Labs Peer Exchange organised by Creative FLIP
  • Document their Learning Lab in form of videos, high-quality photos and social media posts
  • Organise a final/showcasing event in cooperation with the school
  • Conduct a brief survey with students at the beginning and the end of the programme (template provided)
  • Provide participants lists of workshops
  • Submit a short final report on the implementation of their project, incl. pictures

  • 7 October 2024, 10:00-12:00h CET
    Open online information session on IP
  • 16 October 2024, 17:00h CET
    Online Q&A Session for Learning Labs Applicants
  • 24 October 2024, 23:59h CET
    Application Deadline
  • mid-November
    Announcement of results
  • 25 – 27 November 2024 at Lottozero in Prato (Italy)
    Learning Labs Peer Exchange
  • January – July 2025
    Project implementation in schools

Interested applicants should fill out the online application form, presenting their Learning Lab project idea and motivation.

To prepare, you may view here the questions that will be required during the application process.

Please note:

Applications may only be submitted when having a confirmed agreement with a local school, cooperating in the proposed LLab. Written proof of agreement will be requested from all selected candidates.

We recommend watching the video of the information session on IP before applying.

For further information, we advise going through the presentation of our Expert Q&A Session for Learning Labs Applicants.

Application deadline: 24 October, (23:59h CET)

Applications will be evaluated by a panel consisting of three evaluators: two drawn from the Creative FLIP project consortium and the Learning Lab expert. 

The evaluation will be based on:

  • quality of the proposed program( clarity of objectives, combination of methodologies, co-creation element, and tailored to the target group)
  • motivation to participate in the Learning Labs
  • knowledge of the topic and experience in conducting interactive workshops

Furthermore, the diversity of participating Creative Facilitators and geographical balance will be taken into consideration.

Please elaborate your answers to open-ended questions, as this will help the evaluation of your application.

Disclaimer: We are committed to equality, diversity, and inclusion in all project activities. Applications are welcome from all, regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital, or parental status. Even if you don't meet all criteria, we encourage you to apply.


The FAQ section will continuously be updated during the application period. 

Are Universities and institutes of higher education eligible as Learning Lab partners?

No, the target partners are only primary and secondary schools.

Can I cooperate with other creative professionals/organisations?

Yes. Creative Facilitators are welcome to team up with other local cultural and creative entities to provide a broad spectrum of activities and present diverse professions. But the application should be submitted by one entity who remains the point of contact and signs the cooperation agreement.

Can I cooperate with a school from another region or country?

No, Learning Labs aim to foster local cooperation projects. No long distance travel is foreseen, nor can it be covered by the provided budget.

I am an individual. Can I apply?

No, cooperation agreements cannot be signed with a natural person, but with an established organisations and structures with legal personality.

I do not have any specific knowledge in IP. Can I apply?

Yes. Our experts will deliver 1) an open online information session on IP on 07 October 2024 at 10:00h CET (please register here) and 2) a train-the-trainer module during for selected facilitators during the Learning Labs Peer Exchange. Furthermore, educational material for different age groups will be provided. 

Are existing cooperation projects eligible to apply?

Yes, provided they comply with the requirements and overall goals of Learning Labs stated in this call and that they are not already receiving any other financial support for the same activity.

I haven’t found a school to cooperate with. Can I still apply?

No, an agreement between the Creative Facilitator and a school is obligatory. It does not need to have the form of a signed contract. However, the agreement on participation in the Learning Labs has to have been confirmed by the authorized representative of the educational institution (preferably in written format, e.g. email).

Open call Closed

Should you have any additional questions concerning this call, please contact us by email: CreativeFLIP@goethe.de
We look forward to receiving your application!