In December 2020, the Manufacto programme begins its fifth edition, this year with the participation of some fifty-five schools across nine educational boards (Paris, Créteil, Nice, Lyon, Besançon, Bordeaux, Versailles, Normandy and Occitany). More than 1,400 pupils from primary through to high school will thus discover one of the four skills proposed by the programme: carpentry, leatherwork, saddlery/upholstery and plasterwork.

This initiative, through which the Foundation looks to introduce schoolchildren to artisan skills within the school environment, is possible thanks to the engagement of the craftspeople who lead sessions during school hours with the help of class teachers. Over twelve sessions, teachers welcome to their classrooms craft professionals who are assisted, in turn, by design or art-school students. Pupils get to grips with craft gestures and, step by step and with their own two hands, create a contemporary object from start to finish. This substantial and unique experience is further enriched by a visit to the craftsperson’s studio, and enables each pupil to discover new aptitudes as well as the pleasures of making.

Through the medium of one of the thirteen objects designed by Studio BrichetZiegler according to a demanding set of specifications (lamps, stools, pencil cases, wallets, shelves, etc.), the craftspeople transmit not only technical gestures but also values such as precision, respect, concentration and mutual aid, which can contribute to the pupils’ flourishing and positively influence classroom dynamics. This fun approach to craft trades will also help young talents to emerge and may indeed inspire a next generation of craftspeople.