LIFELONG LEARNING PROGRAMME

LEONARDO DA VINCI PARTNERSHIPS

Project title: FASHION WITH TRADITIONAL ASPECTS

This is a partnership of four European vocational colleges and industry training providers working within the fashion and dressmaking curriculum and focusing on involvement of craftsmen from the relevant sectors whilst actively promoting the acquisition of eco-fashion skills such as recovery and recycling. This will be achieved by combining mobilisations with the partners’ lesson delivery schemes and practical hands on activities leading

ORGANIZATIONS IN THE PARTNERSHIP

1. Larnaca Technical School Public Vocational and technical secondary school (EDU-SCHVoc) Larnaca, CY – CYPRUS

2. Städtische Höhere Lehranstalt und Fachschule für Mode Vocational or technical secondary school (EDU-SCHVoc) Wiener Neustadt, AT – AUSTRIA

3. Derby College Vocational training centre (EDU-VET) Derby, UK - UNITED KINGDOM

4. Escuela de Arte y Superior de Conservación y Restauración de Bienes Culturales de ValladolidVocational training centre (EDU-VET)

Valladolid, ES - SPAIN

The aim of the partnership project

To respond to the needs of the labour market by investigating, collecting and sharing sustainable design and dressmaking techniques and materials.

The creation of partnership web page which holds both, the findings of the project and retail alternatives for the fashion creations of the project such as internet advertising, virtual fashion shows and on-line retail of all the participating countries which made available to all interested international professionals at the end of the partnership project.

To reinforce closer working links between the vocational subject areas and working life; encourage participants to consider different progression opportunities by offering challenging and exciting, but safe learning opportunities;

The promotion of educational and language/cultural development of staff and students;

To raise awareness of international labour markets and enable participants to consider themselves as international professionals.

To broaden the horizons of participants and have a chance to see how students study and work in other countries, thus realising the possibility of increased success of young peoples’ transition to the labour market.

RATIONALE/ motivation of the project

Most of the textiles entering the second-hand market come from consumers. According to the Eurostat (European Union’s statistical office) EU citizens generate 513 kg of municipal waste each a year. As part of the Waste Strategy, it has been identified that clothing is one of 10 priority areas that would be examined within its Sustainable Consumption and Production work for maximising textile recycling and reuse.

It is possible for fashion businesses to take effective steps to reduce their environmental footprint, and that of the industry as a whole, in terms of energy and waste. The most forward looking businesses in the fashion sector are doing this through sourcing products for their collections from recycled yarn, fabric, or garments, as well as through minimising packaging and waste, and through reducing energy use. Recovery and recycling provide important environmental benefits such as reduces the need for landfill space, reduces pressure on resources and results in less pollution and energy savings, as fibres do not have to be manufactured or transported from abroad. (Re)-discovering traditional techniques and developing new ones allows saving resources by recycling textiles and other materials.

Consumers can also contribute by recycling, re-fashioning and re-styling existing clothes, swapping clothes with friends or choosing to invest in quality rather than quantity when buying clothes. Domestic resale has boomed in the era of the Internet. Many people sell directly to the other individuals through auction websites as eBay. Design students need to know about such marketing tools, especially the Internet in order to survive in today’s competitive economy.

Technical and vocational education in creative industries requires mobility, open minds from trainees but also their teachers/trainers. There is a need for finding a balance between local/regional/national traditions and European/global trends, as well as understanding that one's own tradition(s) are relevant to those who are working creatively and doing design work.

Trainers and teachers are keen to teach eco-skills and sustainable techniques but often lack the expertise and educational resources to do so effectively and therefore there is a need for a program of continuing professional development in partnership with the traditional skills experts from the industry. Sector will need to work in partnership in order to identify and meet the current labour market needs.

With this project, all participants will establish closer links between their vocational qualifications, their working life and employment opportunities in other countries and have a chance to see how students study and work in other countries. In every country there are eco-friendly materials and skills already in use and by participating in this project, young people will have the enhanced awareness to use simple materials in constructions thus promoting and encouraging the sustainable development.

This project will also increase knowledge and motivation for language skills by providing an opportunity to live and work in an environment where participants’ mother tongue is not spoken. With unemployment being the biggest problem, especially amongst the young people, the ability to work in another country may provide the sustainable employment opportunities via work force movement within the European Community. Additionally, students will be exposed to an international context that is real and relevant and will create closer links between their vocational qualification, their working life and social outlook. This will be a strong tool for enhancing the student’s professionalism in terms of developing their awareness of the fashion and dressmaking industry and their opportunity to be part of a true European labour market.

SILENT PARTNERS

To ensure that the project meets the needs of industry, each partner institution will also actively involve their silent partners. This will involve a variety of local SME's and fashion houses with expertise in the chosen fields that will be shared across the partnership. Such collaboration is more powerful based on the variety of the stakeholders involved, leading to a more comprehensive and robust outcome. The concluding mobility visit will enable all of the previous research and results to be combined to develop a theoretical European best practice sustainability model for the fashion and dressmaking industry as well as recommendations for each of the eco-innovation topic areas researched.

The main thematic areas of the partnership project

Environment / sustainable development(TOPIC-15)

Artistic education, also including Arts and Crafts and Music (TOPIC-3)

Integration of skills needs of the labour market into VET (TOPIC-66)

PROJECT OBJECTIVES AND STRATEGY

The aim of the partnership project is to respond to the needs of the labour market by investigating, collecting and sharing sustainable fashion and dressmaking skills and materials, and opportunities for retail alternatives for the fashion creations of the projects - via internet advertising, virtual fashion shows and on-line retail of all the participating countries. This information will be shared and common concepts developed at European level with the aim to disseminate at national/regional/local level in relevant industry sectors.

The specific objectives:

For the students

To recognise and develop a portfolio of skills which responds to the needs of the labour market and improves employment opportunities

To raise awareness and respect in cultural traditions

To improve knowledge within the field of eco-fashion skills such as recovery and recycling and traditional fashion and dressmaking skills

To develop awareness of the extent and diversity of opportunities in learning and work

To become aware of employment opportunities in different European countries

For the staff

To increase knowledge in the subjects they are currently teaching

To compare and share experiences in the field of eco-fashion skills such as recovery and recycling and traditional fashion and dressmaking skills within the European community

To raise awareness of the different educational systems and methods within the European community

To improve language skills

In order to achieve the objectives, each European partner has agreed on a series of visits, each specialising on a specific theme identified as a key area within the field of the sustainable eco-fashion and traditional fashion and dressmaking skills. Participants of the project will investigate, collect and share cultural traditions as well as fashion and dressmaking technologies from their own country and share good practice via the project web page which acts as a resource bank. With the specific design of this project and the involvement of key international players within this industry, each participating students will naturally be able to create closer links between their vocational qualification, their working life and social outlook. In addition to this, each participant, both staff and student alike, will also be exposed to life within an alternative country's labour market which will then permit them to investigate the possibility of becoming a true participant of the European labour market.

DISTRIBUTION OF TASKSCyprus will coordinate the project.

United Kingdom will develop and host the project web site which is made available to all interested international professionals at the end of the partnership project.

Austria will design and produce PowerPoint presentations after each mobilisation.

Spain will develop and administer the pre/post evaluation form and provides regular feedback to the partners of the project. From this feedback the overall success of the project is evaluated and it forms the basis for planning of future mobilisations with any strengths and weaknesses from the current one taken into an account.

All partners investigate, collect and share traditional cultural heritage in relation to the traditional fashion and eco-fashion skills such as recovery and recycling skills in their own countries, attend partnership Skype meetings, mobilisations to partner institutions and are involved in the publicity of the project and its outcomes.

COOPERATION AND COMMUNICATION

The working language of the partnership is English and written partner communications will utilise emails between the named contacts of each partner institution, for internal and external dissemination.

Partner meetings will be conducted, as required, and in the run up to each mobilisation, using Skype video conferencing.

A project web site will be commissioned to act as the resource bank of the project. The website shall provide access to the general information on the project; lists the details of each mobilisation theme of the project, and details of the partner institutions. The web site will also hold information on the activities and the results of each mobilisation in the form of PowerPoint presentations and provides findings on the retail alternatives for the fashion creations of the project, for example internet advertising, virtual fashion shows and on-line retail of all the participating countries. The project web site is made available to all interested international professionals at the end of the partnership project.

Prior to each visit, the host institution will supply the other partners with a presentation for their forthcoming visitors. This presentation will include information on that host institution, the surrounding area and region as well as some sample language phrases for the visitors to learn prior to their visit. The participants will be provided with this information, alongside the information on aims and opportunities of Leonardo da Vinci programs and expected outcomes of the partnership project. Meetings and information sessions will inform participants on mobilisation's work plans and programs, arrangements for travel and accommodation, local customs and cultural traditions.

EXPECTED RESULTS AND OUTCOMES

Approx. date

Description

October 2013

Partnership project's web page developed and hosted by Derby College

November 2013

Conclusions of Mobilisation 1 (United Kingdom) on eco-fashion skills such as recovery and recycling - making sustainable fashion out of locally sourced materials by using re-fashioning and repairing

June 2014 Conclusions of Mobilisation 2 (Austria) on eco-fashion skills such as recovery and recycling - making sustainable fashion out of locally sourced unwanted factory surpluses, offcuts or materials which would otherwise be thrown away

November 2014

Conclusions of Mobilisation 3 (Spain) on eco-fashion skills such as recovery and recycling - making sustainable fashion out of fabrics composed of recycled fibres or products

June 2015 Conclusions of Mobilisation 4 (Cyprus) on eco-fashion - finding alternative retail opportunities for the fashion creations of the project such as internet advertising, virtual fashion shows and on-line retail outlets

June 2015 Partnership project's web page which includes the findings of the project and retail alternatives is launched and disseminated to international fashion houses as well as other VET providers,

Partnership Project

Fashion with Traditional Aspects2013-2015

Mobilisation 1 Derby College (Nov 13) – staff and students

Planning for the project. Project webpage. Find alternative retail opportunities for the fashion creations of the project such as internet advertising, virtual fashion shows and on-line retail outlets in own country Topics: Internet advertising

Virtual fashion showsOn-line retail outlets

Workshops & Visits: Eco Fashion Skills

Mobilisation 2Austria (May 14?) – staff and students Investigate eco-fashion skills such as recovery and recycling and making sustainable fashion out of locally sourced materials by using re-fashioning and repairing in own country Topics: Recovery skills

Recycling skillsUse of re-fashioningUse of repairing

Workshops & Visits: Eco Fashion Skills

Mobilisation 3Spain (Nov 14?) – staff and students Investigate eco-fashion skills such as recovery and recycling and making sustainable fashion out of locally sourced unwanted factory surpluses, off cuts or materials which would otherwise be thrown away in own country Topics: Recovery skills

Recycling skillsUse of factory surplusesUse of off cuts

Workshops & Visits: Eco Fashion Skills

Mobilisation 4Cyprus (May 15?) – staff and students Investigate eco-fashion skills such as recovery and recycling and making sustainable fashion out of fabrics composed of recycled fibres or products in own country Topics: Recovery skills

Recycling skillsUse of fabrics composed of recycled fibres or products

Workshops & Visits: Eco Fashion Skills

Each partner institution will gain in the short and long term from the planning and development of cross-curricular local and international research into both, the current topical industry and labour market issues. This will lead to a number of developments:

Materials - an accessible resource bank on partnership web page that holds both, the findings of the project and retail alternatives for the fashion creations of the project such as internet advertising, virtual fashion shows and on-line retail of all the participating countries which made available to all interested international professionals at the end of the partnership project

EUROPEAN ADDED VALUE

Exposure of students to international companies and labour markets

Exposure of staff to international companies and labour markets

Cooperation on the investigation, collecting, sharing and respecting traditional cultural traditions and applying common concepts of sustainable fashion and dressmaking practice at a European level

Opportunity for students to create closer links between their current vocational curriculum and their working and social lives.

Furthermore there will be value added from the involvement of a number of local SME's and fashion houses. In particular, the assembly of this expertise is a result of the creation of this partnership and provides a highly unique opportunity to work with a diverse range of industry an educational partners all bringing exceptional knowledge, skills and expertise to the project while working together in order to respond to the needs of the labour market.

Each partner institution will gain from greatly enhanced links with all partner institutions and the cooperation may lead to changes in the curriculum design.

IMPACTFor the school/college:

Benefits through the improvement and enrichment of the processes in the Fashion Department that may also be transferred to other departments of the school

Professionals and colleagues from different European countries will meet to create cooperation and exchange of experiences, ideas and work visits

For the students:To develop communication skills related to language, work, study, culture with students from other countries through exchange visits or the internetTo develop skills for research and deriving inspiration for designing sustainable eco-friendly clothes and other fashion articlesTo raise awareness and respect in traditional costumes and design collections considering folk culture and art of other countriesTo recognise, develop and create a portfolio of skills, suitable for international professionals which will remove barriers to work force mobilityTo develop awareness of the extent and diversity of opportunities to study, work or seek cooperation with establishments and people, in countries beyond their familiar environment and boundaries

For the teachers:

To refresh and enrich their knowledge and expertise in teaching methods and the use of the new technology and computer skills

To compare working methods and equipment

To get acquainted with colleagues and other people from other European countries, with whom to start fruitful communication

To get to know the culture of other countries

To raise awareness of the different educational systems within the European community and ECVET

To improve language skills

HORIZONTAL ISSUESPromoting an awareness of the importance of cultural and linguistic diversity within Europe, as well as of the need to combat racism, prejudice and xenophobia (Div)Cultural and linguistic diversity (CulDiv)Fight against racism and xenophobia (RacXen)Making provision for learners with special needs, and in particular by helping to promote their integration into mainstream education and training (SpecNeed)Promoting equality between men and women and contributing to combating all forms of discrimination based on sex racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation (Discr)Equal opportunities men and women (Equal)Sexual discrimination, orientation (SexDis)Racial or ethnic origin (RacEth)Age (Age)

EVALUATIONThe project will be evaluated through an on-going review process, using the feedback from participants’ evaluation forms.

Escuela de Arte de Valladolid, Spain is responsible for the design and implementation of the pre and post mobilisation evaluation. Questions will be asked about prior knowledge as well as technical and cultural and expectations of the visit. Following the visit, the same questions will be asked again. By performing the evaluation, both before and after each mobilisation, it is possible to measure the 'distance travelled' by each participant and the outcomes from participation in mobility activities - thus allowing measuring each mobilisation's effectiveness.

Escuela de Arte de Valladolid is responsible for summarising the feedback from participants’ reports and submitting the summary to other partners. From this feedback the overall success of the project as a whole is evaluated and it forms the basis for planning and implementation of any future projects with any strengths and weaknesses from the current project taken into account. At the end of the project, and after the last visit in Cyprus, an overall evaluation will be published on the project's web site.The outcomes of the projects will be used as follows:

1 The project website, which acts as a resource bank and holds the findings of the project as well as retail alternatives for the fashion creations of the projects - internet advertising, virtual fashion shows and on-line retail possibilities for each participating country, is made available to all interested international professionals at the end of the partnership project

2 Skills, experiences and knowledge are shared with colleagues and other institutions both locally and nationally

3 Transnational cooperation and partnership experience is used to improve the quality of VET provision locally and nationally

4 Feedback from project is used for planning and implementation for any future projects

DISSEMINATION AND THE USE OF RESULTS

The idea of a new partnership project in eco-fashion field was created during the LdV Contact Seminar in Omnia, Finland 2012. The group discussed and sent information about Fashion Partnership project possibilities to every partner country. Coordinator of Larnaca Technical School collected ideas and themes from each partner and exchanged various emails for the planning of the project activities. There were discussions within each partner organisations about the interest in the project, the aims and expected outcomes and dissemination plans

1. Internal dissemination and communication

Developing of project web-page, communication in web/emails/meetings

Partner organisation’s Official Website (short description and web link to the project's website)

Staff Intranet, Moodle, etc

Organise press conference in own organisation and disseminate the project idea

Following of progress by dissemination plan and valorisation plan

Participate in internal meetings

Collection of personal reflections and group discussions

2. External and international dissemination

Development of the projects flyer and sharing flyers

Dissemination of project outputs

Organise press conferences during the international mobilisations

Participate in national and international conferences/seminars and disseminate the project ideas

Dissemination of results of benchmarking, reports, articles and other relevant material

3. Exploitation of project outcomes

Organising a joint launch of fashion show

Modifying of project results to national level - fashion items will be shown to the school community of each participating country

Dissemination of project materials to users: to VET-institutes, bodies who organise training, teachers, trainers and students

Exploitation via partner organisations (descriptions of learning outcomes, VET documentation)

Exploitation via different projects

All partners will disseminate the project results to their national and international partners

Training materials will be available for everybody on the project website. Each partner will hold their in-house training courses, using the new skills. Project's materials will be used for training traditional fashion skills at schools and in companies. Personal, professional and key competencies are used in everyday working life and in training of trainees

Implementation of training will be updated, according to topics and materials which were successful during the project