S4Fashion successfully connects designers, artists and makers at the Sandpit day event in Athens

The S4Fashion program has moved onto a next phase. The program is co-funded by the COSME Programme of the European Union and is being led by the European Creative Hubs Network (ECHN) in partnership with Envolve Entrepreneurship Greece, DataScouts, IED REC from Istituto Europeo di Design (IED) and ZIPHOUSE of the Technical University of Moldova.

S4Fashion aims to introduce new sustainable and circular economy solutions for the fashion industry via co creation and knowledge building with designers, start-ups, scale-ups and businesses identified as SMEs. In November 2021, the S4Fashion open call ended and over 150 transnational teams of at least two partners had applied with a project proposal. Of these, 38 were preselected and invited to the sandpit day in Athens to pitch their projects, receive feedback and mentorship from the jury and connect with other like-minded people.

March 10-12/2022 – During the Sandpit day, there was a constant exchange of ideas, inspiration, wonder and recognition among applicants as well as jury members and organizers. Each project was invited to pitch and afterwards receive feedback and mentorship but also connect with so many creative and durable-minded artists and makers. The biggest take away for most of the attending applicants was the connection they felt and the mindset they shared among each other. The pitching and storytelling that took up most of the days, were timely paused for socializing and pleasantries.

After the successful Sandpit event, the 25 finalists for the S4Fashion program have been announced. These 25 projects will continue in the S4F program and receive funding, mentorship and support in the coming months. The objective is the co-production of new knowledge and guidelines drawn from empirical evidences and collaboratively learn on sustainability methods and tools. Those who were not selected will have meetings with the S4F team, take and give feedback to set up an interesting and useful Crash Programme throughout the coming year. There will be 1-day workshops hosted, inviting both the selected and not selected projects, as well as other organisations and firms across Europe.

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