The main objective of Crosswarp project is a process of apprenticeship and collaboration on the traditional art of weaving. The project develops itself in depth (education, inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities, production) and in breadth (dissemination, creation of educational and productive points in five European countries and an open to everyone, digital platform with educational material). It connects the past with the future by attempting to revive a traditional art in the modern world and to design social cooperative enterprises that will create jobs for people with intellectual disabilities and other vulnerable groups of people from the typical population. A second aim is to provide the material and the expertise to people who wish to lead training weaving workshops. More specifically the project aims to:

  • To ensure the maintenance of weaving workshops in vocational training centers and set up new ones.

  • The development of manuals for (a) the trainers and (b) the trainees with intellectual disabilities.

  • Improve the inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities by giving the chance to local communities to attend in inclusive weaving seminars.

  • Create job positions related to the field of weaving.

The beneficiaries who will participate in the training seminars will be 30 people in total per country. From the 30 people, 15 of them will be of the general population from vulnerable social groups (e.g. long-term unemployed, women) and 15 will be people with intellectual disabilities. The training seminars will last for 600 hours (7 months) and will be divided in two sections one theoretical (150 hours) and one practical (450 hours). Those who complete the training seminar can attend a second part of seminars which will prepare them to become trainers in Weaving Workshops by focusing on the methodology of training but also on the history of weaving, equipment and weaving techniques, its connection with the current era and the current market trends (30 hours). The manuals will be available in digital and paper form. The manuals will be a tool for universities, lifelong learning centers, institutions which promote the Art of Weaving, Weaving Workshops in VET Centers.

Intellectual Outputs:

  1. Analytical Curriculum
  2. Trainers Manual
  3. Manual for people with intellectual disabilities (easy-to-read)
  4. Web Platform – Webinars

The project aims to contribute to the revival of traditional Weaving Art, an art that is in danger of being forgotten, as the weaving process has been mechanized, the hand loom has been replaced by the weaving machine. The revival of the hand-held loom thus, has a wider reference to intangible cultural heritage. At the same time, it has a great educational value due to its potential for the development of fine and thin motor skills, attention, concentration and psychosocial development, Call 2019 Round 1 KA2 – Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices KA204 – Strategic Partnerships for adult education FormId KA204-B26A0E0B Deadline (Brussels Time) 26 Mar 2019 12:00:00 EN 4 / 132 especially for people with mental disabilities. The methodology of the project is based on the balance between the theoretical and the practical training as well as the management of traditional techniques in modern times. Since weaving by its nature requires synergies of different specialties (qualities), which complement each other, the project will attempt to be developed through the principles of collaboration through craft. Finally, it will be governed by the principles of inclusion, giving space to the coexistence of different groups of the population (general population, disabled people, elderly people, immigrants from countries with tradition in the subject, etc.). In terms of impact, the CROSSWARP project aims to strengthen the creation of loom workshops in the Vocational Training Centers in the participating countries at first (across Europe thereafter) by offering integrated training tools. As far as longer term benefits are concerned, the project will highlight training in weaving as a field for the development of social cooperative enterprises in the context of the promotion of KALO, which can ensure employment for people from vulnerable social groups.