OPEN CALL: Join the Craft & Sustainability Festival 2026 in Barcelona

2–4 December 2026

ESPRONCEDA – Institute of Art & Culture, Barcelona

Apply here

Are you an artist, artisan, maker or designer exploring sustainability, circularity and new approaches to contemporary craft?

ESPRONCEDA – Institute of Art & Culture, as part of the European project Craftwork 4.0 ALL, is pleased to launch an OPEN CALL for the Craft & Sustainability Festival 2026, taking place in Barcelona from 2–4 December 2026.

For three days, ESPRONCEDA will bring together artists and creative practitioners from across Europe to exhibit, exchange knowledge, participate in conversations and explore how craft can contribute to more sustainable, circular and environmentally responsible ways of making.

The festival will take place in dialogue with the 30th anniversary of Drap-Art, Barcelona’s pioneering international festival dedicated to sustainable art and creative reuse.

Craft, sustainability and innovation meet in Barcelona

At ESPRONCEDA, we understand craft not only as the preservation of knowledge and techniques, but as a space for experimentation, collaboration and transformation.

Through our New European Bauhaus (NEB) initiative and European programmes such as Craftwork 4.0 ALL, we work at the intersection of art, craftsmanship, sustainability, technology and social innovation, creating opportunities for practitioners to connect traditional knowledge with contemporary challenges and emerging tools.

The Craft & Sustainability Festival reflects this approach by bringing different generations, disciplines and European perspectives together around a shared question: how can the way we make contribute to a more sustainable future?

Its connection with Drap-Art is particularly meaningful. Since 1996, Drap-Art has been a pioneering platform in Barcelona for artists working with recovered, recycled and reused materials. Celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2026, the festival provides a natural context for expanding the conversation around sustainable making, circular design and the creative transformation of materials.

Two ways to participate

Applicants can choose between in-person participation in Barcelona and an online professional development programme. Applicants may indicate one or both options in the application form.

OPTION 1 · Participate in person at the Craft & Sustainability Festival

2–4 December 2026 · ESPRONCEDA, Barcelona

We are looking for artists, artisans, makers, designers and creative practitioners working across disciplines including craft and design, sculpture, mixed media, collage, assemblage, audiovisual practices, fashion, costume and wearable design.

We particularly welcome practices connected to:

• Sustainability and environmentally responsible making
• Circular economy and circular design
• Recycling and upcycling
• Material experimentation
• Intergenerational transmission of craft knowledge
• Heritage-based making
• Connections between traditional craftsmanship and digital tools

Both emerging and established practitioners are encouraged to apply.

What will participants do?

Selected participants will exhibit their work at ESPRONCEDA throughout the three-day festival and take an active role in an international programme of exchange and collaboration.

Depending on their practice and interests, participants may also contribute to workshops, demonstrations, talks, open studios and thematic roundtables addressing sustainability, circular economy and the future of craft.

The festival will also provide opportunities to connect with the wider Craftwork 4.0 ALL European consortium, related European initiatives and the Drap-Art network.

What will participants gain?

Participants will benefit from:

• International visibility in Barcelona within Craftwork 4.0 ALL and in connection with Drap-Art’s 30th anniversary
• Three days of exchange with artists, craftspeople, cultural organisations and audiences from across Europe
• Opportunities for professional networking and future collaboration
• Documentation of their work within the festival’s communication and online platforms
• Visibility through the communication channels of the participating European organisations
• A Certificate of Completion issued by ESPRONCEDA / Craftwork 4.0 ALL

Practical information

Festival dates: 2–4 December 2026
Venue: ESPRONCEDA – Institute of Art & Culture, Carrer d’Espronceda 326, Barcelona
Format: Three days of in-person participation, including exhibition, talks, workshops and networking
Participants: More than 30 artists and creative practitioners from across Europe, with a minimum of 6 local artist from Barcelona, Catalonia.
Deadline to apply for in-person participation: 4 September 2026

Selected in-person participants will receive financial support for travel, accommodation and subsistence, managed by their respective sending organisation.

Please note that Craftwork 4.0 ALL does not cover the transportation or insurance of artworks to and from Barcelona. Selected participants will receive detailed logistical information before the festival.

OPTION 2 · Online Programme: Business Financial Skills for Artisans and Makers

4 December 2026 · Online

For practitioners who cannot travel to Barcelona — or who would like to strengthen the business side of their creative practice — the festival also offers an online learning opportunity focused on Business Financial Skills for Artisans and Makers.

This practical live seminar is designed for artisans, designers and makers who want to better understand the financial foundations of a sustainable creative practice.

Participants will explore practical questions around pricing, costing, income planning and financial sustainability, applying the learning directly to their own products and professional activity.

What will participants gain?

Participants will receive:

• Access to the live online seminar streamed from ESPRONCEDA in Barcelona
• Practical exercises based on their own creative practice
• Access to the complete Business Financial Skills guide for self-paced learning
• A recording of the session
• A moderated Q&A with the speakers
• A Certificate of Completion issued by ESPRONCEDA / Craftwork 4.0 ALL
• Connection with the wider European Craftwork 4.0 ALL community

Date: 4 December 2026, morning
Format: 60–90 minute live online seminar
Participants: Minimum 22 online participants
Deadline to apply: 30 September 2026

Who can apply?

The Open Call is open to practitioners residing in the 12 countries represented within the Craftwork 4.0 ALL consortium:

Bulgaria, Sweden, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Croatia, France, Ireland, Slovenia, Serbia, Slovakia and Greece.

Applications will be evaluated according to the quality and originality of the applicant’s practice, its relationship with the festival themes, interest in experimentation and collaboration, and sufficient English to participate actively in an international programme.

For in-person participation, practical considerations such as the dimensions and fragility of the proposed artworks, transportation requirements and geographical balance will also be taken into account.

APPLY NOW

Ready to bring your practice into a European conversation about the future of craft and sustainable making?

Applications are now open.

APPLY NOW – Complete the application form

In-person Festival deadline: 4 September 2026
Online Programme deadline: 30 September 2026

Applicants may apply for the in-person programme, the online programme, or both.

For applicants residing in Spain, ESPRONCEDA is the sending organisation and point of contact.

About Craftwork 4.0 ALL

Craftwork 4.0 ALL is a European project co-funded by the Creative Europe programme of the European Union, connecting 12 organisations from 12 European countries through an international and intercultural co-creation platform.

The project supports new and emerging craft artists and practitioners, helping them collaborate, develop their skills and promote their work nationally and internationally. It encourages the use of new technologies to innovate the craft sector while preserving its knowledge, history and cultural heritage and contributing to its future.

Craftwork 4.0 ALL is developed within ESPRONCEDA’s New European Bauhaus (NEB) initiative, reinforcing ESPRONCEDA’s commitment to bringing together art, culture, sustainability, inclusion and innovation.