make-a-thek
The European Crafts Alliance is partnering on a HORIZON-CL2-2024-HERITAGE-01 project with 8 other organisations, from 2025 – 2027 called make-a-thek (Modular Library Makerspaces for Heritage Crafts Innovation and Digitization).
make-a-thek envisions public libraries as inclusive, accessible hubs for innovation and sustainability by integrating modular makerspaces into their spaces. These makerspaces will provide communities with tools and resources to explore circular approaches to fashion and crafts. The project emphasizes co-creation, combining traditional heritage crafts with digital fabrication technologies to foster sustainability and cultural preservation. It aligns with the principles of the New European Bauhaus (NEB)—sustainability, inclusion, and aesthetics—by transforming libraries into spaces where citizens from diverse backgrounds co-create innovative solutions for greener lifestyles and transition to a circular economy.
This initiative addresses key societal and environmental challenges, including the ecological footprint of the fashion industry, loss of traditional craft knowledge, and lack of equitable access to repair and upcycling resources. Through its activities, make-a-thek empowers communities to rethink consumption habits, repair and reuse materials, and engage with heritage crafts as a means to innovate sustainably.
Goals and Objectives
The make-a-thek project has four overarching goals, with specific measurable objectives tied to each:
- Democratizing Access to Innovation
- Equip public libraries with modular, replicable makerspaces, enabling citizens to access digital and maker technologies.
- Provide open educational resources (OER) and host workshops, ensuring inclusivity for underserved communities, including rural areas via a mobile makerspace bus.
- Building Sustainable Communities
- Strengthen connections between craftspeople, makers, fashion experts, and local communities through collaborative workshops and events.
- Promote circularity and sustainability practices by embedding these values into local ecosystems.
- Enhancing Innovation Capacity
- Combine traditional craft knowledge with cutting-edge digital tools to develop new sustainable techniques and products.
- Engage communities in co-designing modular solutions for integrating heritage crafts into contemporary practices.
4. Accelerating the Circular Transition in Fashion and Crafts
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- Pilot innovative solutions for circular practices in the fashion and crafts sectors, contributing to EU policy goals such as the Green Deal, Fit for 55, and the Textile Strategy.
- Use findings to inform policy recommendations and expand scalable solutions globally.
Project members:
Zentrum für Soziale Innovation (Austria), Global Innovation Gathering (Germany), Fashion Revolution (Germany), OpenDotLab (Italy), Public Libraries 2030 (Belgium), Ukrainian Makers Association (Ukraine), Sihtasutus Fab City Foundation (Estonia), Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (Spain)
This project is funded by the European Union.