At ESPRONCEDA, Institute of Art and Culture · Barcelona
Are you an artist, craftsperson, designer or maker working at the intersection of craft and sustainability?
The Craftwork Festival 2026 invites European practitioners to gather in Barcelona for three days of exhibition, exchange and reflection on how craft can shape a more sustainable, circular and environmentally responsible practice. The festival is the public moment of Craftwork 4.0 ALL — a project co-funded by the Creative Europe programme of the European Union, within Espronceda’s New European Bauhaus initiative — and unfolds in dialogue with the 30th anniversary edition of Drap-Art, Barcelona’s long-standing reference for sustainable art.
This open call offers two participation tracks:
- Option 1 · In-person participation at the Festival in Barcelona (2–4 December 2026).
- Option 2 · Online participation in the Business Financial Skills for Artisans and Makers seminar (4 December 2026).
Applicants indicate their preferred track (or both) in the application form. Selection processes are separate for each track. Applicants not selected for the in-person track may be invited to join the online track — broadening inclusion while keeping the physical event manageable.
OPTION 1 · ONSITE-PERSON PARTICIPATION AT THE FESTIVAL
Who is it for?
- Artists, craftspeople, makers, designers and creative practitioners working in any discipline. (Design and craft, Sculpture, Mixed media, collage, assemblage, audiovisuals and other contemporary formats, fashion, costume and wearable design (with a sustainability lens).
- Emerging and established practitioners — selection is by quality of work and alignment with themes.
- Individuals exploring sustainability, circular economy, recycling and upcycling through material practice.
- Practitioners interested in intergenerational craft exchange, heritage-based making, and the intersection of traditional craft and digital tools.
- Creatives curious about hybrid formats combining exhibition, performance and direct exchange with audiences.
What will participants do?
- Exhibit selected works at ESPRONCEDA during the three festival days.
- Optionally lead or co-lead a workshop, demonstration, talk or open studio.
- Take part in thematic round tables on sustainability, circular economy and craft.
- Connect with the Craftwork 4.0 ALL consortium and sister EU projects — HAG (Hands Across Generations), GreenCCIrcle Academy, Time for (S) Heroes, PMP (Professional Media Presence) — and with the Drap-Art network.
- Engage with international peers, cultural operators and audiences over three days.
What will participants gain?
- International exposure within Drap-Art’s 30th anniversary edition and the Craftwork 4.0 ALL European platform.
- Direct contact with European cultural operators, festival audiences and partner organisations.
- Documentation of work in the festival’s open archive and online platform.
- Certificate of Achievement issued by ESPRONCEDA / Craftwork 4.0 ALL.
- Inclusion in the festival’s post-event communication and dissemination across partner channels.
Programme details
- Dates: 2–4 December 2026
- Location: ESPRONCEDA, Institute of Art and Culture · Barcelona (Spain). Carrer D’Espronceda 326 Nave 4,5 & 10
- Format: 3-day in-person participation, including exhibition, possible workshops and talks
- Arrival: Monday 30 November or Tuesday 1 December, by 15:00 at the latest — to allow time to receive and install the work before the Festival opening on Tuesday evening
- Departure: Friday 4 December (afternoon) or Saturday 5 December
- Participants: at least 6 invited local participants + 22 international participants (2 per Craftwork 4.0 ALL platform member)
- Attendance: full attendance and active participation are required to receive the Certificate of Achievement
OPTION 2 · ONLINE PARTICIPATION · Business Financial Skills for Artisans and Makers
Who is it for?
- Artisans, craftspeople, designers and makers who want to strengthen the financial and business dimension of their practice.
- Emerging and established practitioners looking for practical tools on pricing, cost calculation, income planning and financial sustainability.
- Applicants who cannot travel to Barcelona but wish to be part of the Craftwork 4.0 ALL Festival community.
What will participants do?
- Attend the live online seminar on Friday 4 December 2026 (morning, exact time TBD).
- Complete short pre-work sent one week in advance (bring one of your own products in mind, ready to calculate its true cost live).
- Engage in the live practical exercise during the session.
- Take part in the moderated Q&A with the speakers.
- Optionally follow additional festival panels via live stream (subject to confirmation).
What will participants gain?
- Access to the full Business Financial Skills for Artisans and Makers guide, with self-paced exercises applicable to their own practice.
- Session recording, shared post-event.
- Certificate of Achievement issued by ESPRONCEDA / Craftwork 4.0 ALL.
- Inclusion in the festival’s post-event communication and dissemination across partner channels.
- Membership of the online participant community and continued engagement across Craftwork 4.0 ALL’s 12 partner countries.
Programme details
- Date: Friday 4 December 2026 · morning (exact time TBD)
- Location: Online (streamed live from ESPRONCEDA, Barcelona)
- Format: 60–90 minute live online seminar + optional live streaming of festival panels
- Participants: minimum 22 online participants
- Attendance: live attendance and active participation required to receive the Certificate of Achievement
Themes (apply to both options)
All applications must align with the festival’s core themes:
- Sustainability — low-impact materials, processes, life-cycle thinking and environmental responsibility in craft practice.
- Circular economy — design for reuse, repair, regeneration and integration of craft within circular value chains.
- Recycling & upcycling — transformation of discarded or unconventional materials into contemporary craft and design.
We particularly welcome proposals that engage with intergenerational transmission of craft knowledge, heritage-based making, and the intersection of traditional craft and digital tools.
Eligible countries
Bulgaria, Sweden, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Croatia, France, Ireland, Slovenia, Serbia, Slovakia, Greece.
Important participation conditions
Selected participants will be required to attend all programme sessions and actively engage in all planned activities. Full attendance is compulsory in order to receive the final Certificate of Achievement.
Before the start of the programme, all selected participants will be asked to sign a Craft Festival Agreement outlining the programme objectives, participation commitments, responsibilities, and certification conditions.
Important note on artwork logistics (in-person track only):
The Craftwork 4.0 ALL project does not cover shipping of artworks to or from Barcelona, nor insurance during transport. In-person participants are encouraged to bring their finished work with them, at their own choice and own risk. These conditions will be explicitly reflected in the Craft Festival Agreement signed by selected artists.
Selection criteria
Applications will be evaluated based on:
- Craft & Artistic Vision — interest or experience in craft, design or creative practice relative to experience level. Originality and emerging or established artistic voice demonstrated through portfolio or work samples.
- Engagement with Themes — genuine interest in sustainability, circular economy, recycling, experimentation, creative development and collaboration.
- English Knowledge — sufficient level of English to actively participate in workshops, discussions and collaborative activities within an international group.
Two additional considerations apply specifically to the in-person track: conditions of the pieces (size, fragility, packing) and geographic balance across the European partner consortium.
Financial support
The financial support for in-person Festival participants covers travel, accommodation and subsistence (food). Selected participants will receive detailed information regarding the financial support and reimbursement procedures directly from their respective Sending Organisation (see list below).
Online participants (Option 2) are exempt from travel and accommodation costs, as the seminar takes place remotely. No financial support is provided for the online track.
Sending organisations
Applicants should apply through the Sending Organisation of their country of residence.
- Bulgaria — OECON · office@oecongroup.com
- Greece — CUBE · info@cube.org.gr
- Italy — Materahub · sarasimeone@materahub.com
- Portugal — ARTE.M · artassociationmadeira@gmail.com
- Spain — Espronceda · maria.rubies@espronceda.net
- Sweden — Sensus · helen.riise@sensus.se
- Croatia — Culture Hub Croatia · info@culturehubcroatia.hr
- France — Villette Makerz · garush@villettemakerz.com
- Ireland — CARLOW COCO · huttonl@carlowcoco.ie
- Slovenia — Center Rog · lucija.jankovec@center-rog.si
- Serbia — NOVA ISKRA · ivan@novaiskra.com
- Slovakia — CIKE · verana.dobal@cike.sk
