September will be decisive for the 2020 International Solidarity FabLab Challenge #Imake4MyCity! This year’s theme is “Art Makers”: in partnership with an artist or craftsperson, the challenge is to imagine and deliver a piece of work that uses at least one FabLab machine or digital tool.
It’s an individual and collaborative challenge to show skills in the digital sector! Everyone can have their say, by voting until 15 October!
A challenge that stimulates young people’s creativity and demonstrates their talent
Our international “digital making” competition is open to young people in our Solidarity FabLabs who decide to take up the challenge as a team. Each year, a new topic sparks their creativity and the interest of the professional world. This year, they will be developing new digital practices in the arts: a fantastic opportunity to show how digital tools can combine with creative practices to promote innovation, culture and solidarity.
Projects competing until 15 October!
The challenge, which was presented to the Solidarity FabLabs and Solidarity Third Places teams in late 2019, was taken on by several teams, which had until 15 January 2020 to develop and pitch a project to our selection committee. Three prizes will be awarded to the 13 teams that were ultimately selected for the competition:
- the Jury’s Grand Prize
- the “Favourite” Prize
- the online audience award, which enables anyone with an internet connection to vote online for their favourite project on fondationorange.com until 15 October
The awards ceremony will be broadcast live on fondationorange.com on 5 November 2020 at 5.30 pm (CET).
A challenge which will also lead to job opportunities
As in previous years, our challenge is aimed at the young people from underprivileged backgrounds attending free digital training workshops at our Solidarity FabLabs and in our Solidarity Third Places. It’s an opportunity for them to showcase their digital projects, presenting to the entire world what they have learnt at the FabLab, even though they may be out of education, or don’t have any qualifications!
We have been supporting these young people through our Solidarity FabLabs since 2014. With no qualifications or jobs, they learn how to use digital manufacturing to design and create inventions, each more ingenious than the other, all at no charge and in a collaborative manner. The FabLabs represent an alternative, welcoming and innovative learning environment to help young people grow in confidence and discover their talents.
We support 129 Solidarity FabLabs. This is a new chance for young people to find employment opportunities, outside of conventional educational or career paths.
Based on the principle of “working together”, Solidarity Third Places can offer access to educational support, digital making tools or the arts. We support digital and cultural projects in these new learning spaces located in rural areas of France.
Art Makers... what does that mean?
The project which the young people work on and submit can belong to one of a number of artistic practices: sculpture, architecture, graphic arts (including painting or drawing), music, dance, poetry, literature, the moving image (cinema, television, digital art), performance (theatre, mime), photography, comic books, and fashion.
For this reason, a creator (artist or crafts person), will support each team, guiding the young people through the creative process, the choice of materials, etc.