Inspired by principles of sustainable consumption and lifestyle, sharing and circular economy products and services are rising gradually worldwide. Through interregional cooperation among eight partners from Finland, France, Czech Republic, Spain, Bulgaria, and Belgium, the CECI – Citizen Involvement in Circular Economy Implementation project collects and shares such good practices to inspire other regions in their implementation.
An inspiring CECI good practice of a collaborative makerspace called Public Workshop FAJNA DILNA was presented by Moravskoslezské inovační centrum Ostrava, Czech Republic.
FAJNA DILNA Public Workshop
According to executive director Gabriel Duda (2021), the main goal of Fajna Dilna (FD) is to offer especially to citizens of Ostrava an opportunity to try and test various crafts and learn new craft skills under expert guidance in thematic workshops. FD also offers professional advice in the field of business, product development and marketing to mature crafters to commence craft entrepreneurship.
The FD concept is based on the so-called Fab Labs and open DYI (Do It Yourself) workshops, its services are dedicated to artisans, entrepreneurs, DIY enthusiasts, artists, designers, and the general public. (Duda 2021.)
The association of Craft Incubator (Řemeslný inkubátor) Ostrava adopted the marketing name FAJNA DILNA (Fine Workshop) for all activities. FD, founded in 2016, is operated by the association. Its founding members are the Statutory City of Ostrava, VŠB Technical University of Ostrava, an educational, cultural, and social centre lower Vítkovice area and an alternative cultural platform Provoz Hlubina. Vítkovice Secondary Industrial School became a new member in 2019. (Duda 2021.)
FD has seven operations at its disposal: ceramic, sewing, 3D and CNC technology, concrete, locksmith, carpentry, and community garden. Currently, altogether eight people are employed, two of them half-time.
Thanks to grants, FD also supports the business and education of future craftsmen. For instance, the Operational Program Employment focuses on support of employment, entrepreneurship of population and development of small and medium-sized enterprises. Applicants have an opportunity to try a business for a while, gain new knowledge and skills for easier entry into labour market. (Duda 2021.)
Also, the city of Ostrava program supports education and talent management by financing a program targeted to pupils in the 7th, 8th and 9th grades of primary schools. The program is beneficial in acquisition and development of technical and craft skills, awareness and interest in apprenticeship and graduation in technical and craft fields. (Duda 2021.)
Achievements in numbers
In 2019, nearly 5000 do-it-yourselfers and professionals used the FD services. Over 100 workshops and team-building events were organised in 2019. Also, 14 regular users of the workshops have applied for a trade license. In 2020, thanks to regular membership fees and increased custom-made orders, FD’s turnover exceeded 160 000 €.
The social benefit of a shared workshop should not be forgotten. New communities of people with similar hobbies and interests are created. Some of the thematic workshops are dedicated to whole families (make a bird’s nest box), children (ceramics), or to a season (wooden Christmas tree). FD actively publishes the craft works and upcoming events on their Facebook page.
Author
Katerina Medkova works as an RDI Specialist at LAB University of Applied Sciences and is CECI Communication Manager. CECI – Citizen Involvement in Circular Economy Implementation is an Interreg Europe co-funded project led by LAB University of Applied Sciences, Finland.
References
Duda, G. 2021. Executive Director. Fajna Dilna. Interview 23.2.2021.
Links
Link 1. Interreg Europe. 2021b. Project Summary. CECI. [Cited 7 Mar 2021]. Available at: https://www.interregeurope.eu/ceci/
Link 2. Interreg Europe 2021a. Project good practices. CECI. [Cited 7 Mar 2021]. Available at: https://www.interregeurope.eu/ceci/good-practices/
Link 3. Moravian-Silesian Innovation Centre Ostrava. 2017.MSIC. [Cited 7 Mar 2021]. Available at: https://www.ms-ic.cz/
Link 4. Interreg Europe. 2021c. Good practice: Public Workshop FAJNA DILNA. Policy Learning Platform. [Cited 7 Mar 2021]. Available at: https://www.interregeurope.eu/policylearning/good-practices/item/4837/public-workshop-fajna-dilna/
Link 5. Fajna Dilna. 2021. O Fajne Dilně. [Cited 7 Mar 2021]. Available at: http://fajnadilna.cz/o-fajne/
Link 6. Welcome to Dolní Vítkovice. 2020. DOV. [Cited 7 Mar 2021]. Available at: https://www.dolnivitkovice.cz/en/
Link 7. Provoz Hlubina. 2020. Provoz. [Cited 7 Mar 2021]. Available at: http://www.provoz.net/
Link 8. Fajna dilna. 2021. Facebook. [Cited 7 Mar 2021]. Available at: https://www.facebook.com/Fajnadilna/?ref=page_internal
Images
Image 1. Fajna Dilna. 2021. Carpentry workshop of FAJNA DILNA. [Cited 7 Mar 2021]. Available at: http://fajnadilna.cz/fotogalerie/
Image 2. Fajna Dilna. 2021. Proud and happy young crafters with their creations. [Cited 7 Mar 2021]. Available at: http://fajnadilna.cz/fotogalerie/
Image 3. Medkova, 2018. Katerina Medkova.
