As a company specializing in Experience and Service Design dedicated to social innovation, projects that improve the lives of communities are at the heart of our work. This is why Studio SHIFT’s participation in BAN – Bosch Alumni Network — a European platform that promotes intercultural collaboration among civil society organizations — represents a unique opportunity to tackle crucial social challenges, strengthen our mission, and create a positive and lasting impact for the benefit of the community on an international level.
In this article, we will explore the most significant projects we have accomplished so far through this valuable collaboration.
Co-Warming: combating burnout with Design Thinking
The Co(mmunities)-Warming project was born from the collaboration between Platform Association in Budapest and Cooperativa Larius in Colico (LC – Italy), with the aim of addressing an increasingly common issue: burnout in the workplace, particularly in the cooperative, educational, and artistic sectors.
Funded by the European program Tandem EU III ed., Co-Warming focused on the prevention and promotion of workplace well-being.
Tandem Europe is an initiative developed by the European Cultural Foundation and MitOst e.V. together with Fondazione Cariplo with additional financial support from Robert Bosch Stiftung, Stavros Niarchos Foundation and Fonds voor Cultuurparticipatie. It is implemented together with 4iS (Aveiro), COMM’ON (Athens) and Ideas Factory (Sofia).
We used design thinking as a key tool to develop design skills among participants. Two training workshops, conducted with specific design tools, involved Italian and Hungarian professionals in a constructive dialogue, stimulating both individual and group creativity. Additionally, we developed a set of graphic cards that not only accompany the training sessions but can also be used for personal “training,” making learning continuous and customizable.
Greening IT: A Community of Practice for Sustainability
The Greening IT project, initiated by the Italian Regional Coordinators group of BAN and supported by International Alumni Center gGmbH (iac Berlin), aims to map the best Italian projects related to environmental sustainability among network members.
In collaboration with national and European partners from three countries (Germany, Bulgaria, and Albania), we have designed a collaborative event (Convivium, to be held in Bari in October) to share best practices and identify transferable project formats (including digital ones) to support the reduction of environmental impact, promote eco-sustainable practices, and use appropriate technologies.
This project plays an important role in spreading the concept of “just transition,” not only among direct participants but also within the communities in which they operate. Greening IT demonstrates how technology can be a powerful ally in creating a greener future, concretely contributing to the development of a generation of professionals who are aware and committed to sustainability.
EMPOWERmental: the new project for Sustainability
Currently, we are working on EMPOWERmental, a new project made possible with the support of Erasmus+. This initiative aims to create networks of professionals specifically trained in mental health awareness, promotion, and management, using a design thinking approach, the arts, and cross-border collaboration. The goal of EMPOWERmental is to create links between the mental health sector and participatory arts in order to support each other and jointly encourage people to take an active role in their own lives and work towards their own and their peers’ mental well-being.
Through co-creation and knowledge sharing among partners from different countries, EMPOWERmental proposes a winter school dedicated to this theme (in Budapest, January 2025) to train 20 international professionals and stimulate real and sustainable change that can endure over time. The project is led by Ziggurat Project: an independent interdisciplinary art collective based in Budapest, collaborating on local and international projects in the cultural and educational fields since 2015. In addition to SHIFT, representing Italy, the other involved partners are Dinamica from Hellin (Albacete), Spain, and PST – Priestor Sucasneho Tanca o.z. from Košice, Slovakia.
Studio SHIFT and the BAN network for social and cultural innovation
Our experience with European communities also extends to active participation in the VoC – Voices of Culture network, specifically in the cluster “Culture and creative sectors and industries driving green transition and facing the energy crisis” (2023).
Indeed, the European Commission maintains regular dialogue with European organizations from the cultural and creative sectors and industries, as part of its activities in the field of culture. From 2015 until 2023, the Commission organized a structured dialogue called VoC, as part of the New European Agenda for Culture. It provided a framework for discussions between civil society stakeholders and the Commission and was implemented by the Goethe-Institute.
VoC selects and brings together organizations dedicated to social and cultural innovation from all European countries, based on their expertise and thematic interests. SHIFT was selected among the 30 organizations in the Creative and Cultural Industries sector as the Italian representative (along with CSGI from the University of Florence) to participate in the reflection and revitalization sessions held in Tartu from June 14-16, 2023. This resulted in a Brainstorming Report rich in case studies, insights, and guidelines for the future of the cultural sector.
Why Studio SHIFT’s projects make a difference
These networks have allowed us to create valuable collaborations and develop joint projects on topics such as urban regeneration and social inclusion, providing us with the ideal platform to expand the impact of our work and amplify the reach of our projects’ best practices. Studio SHIFT‘s projects carried out on a European scale demonstrate how design thinking can be a powerful catalyst for building more resilient, inclusive, and sustainable communities. Being part of a global network of social innovators is an opportunity to explore new solutions, address design challenges in creative and strategic ways, and generate a positive impact on a large scale.
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Make a Shift is Studio Shift's e-magazine, focused on design and social innovation, where you can find articles and case histories of our projects.
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