Yesterday, Learning Hub Friesland participated in the event “Simmerskoalle Flaaks 2021” as part of our Craft Your Future project together with House of Design and Friesland College. The summer school event took place in a barn in Oosternijkerk, Friesland opposite a blooming field of flax. The day was centered around the sustainable design possibilities offered by flax, a traditional crop in Friesland which is trying to make a comeback.
Introduction board on the way to the event’s destination
The day kicked off with a welcome by alderman Jelle Boerema from the municipality of Noard-East Fryslan, followed by presentations given by the representatives of all the organizations and farmers involved in the day.
After that, we got a chance to showcase our Erasmus+ project “Craft Your Future” to everyone. We also showed them the Craft Game, part of our student materials, that was first used during the “Craft Your Future Makeathon” in the beginning of May, 2021. The game received positive feedback from the participants, with exciting circular product ideas combining crafts, tech, and sustainability being pitched to the rest of the group.
The afternoon was all about getting our hands dirty! We got the chance to join or observe different traditional crafts: soap-making with Hester from Learning Hub Friesland, turning flax into fibre using traditional machines, basket weaving, and lastly creating linseed oil from flax seeds.
We wrapped up the day with future plans for the flax project and some inspiration from design expert Thomas Eyck, who showed us some examples of high-end Dutch design products inspired by and created from flax.
The day was a great success, showcasing our work in Craft Your Future and making new connections and future plans. Who knew that flax could be so exciting?