Year: 2024 - 2027

Partners: DumBO - DISTRETTO URBANO MULTIFUNZIONALE DI BOLOGNA, Italy, WELCOME APS, Italy, Cable Factory, Finland, Nová Cvernovka, Slovakia, Dataphoria, Greece

Associated partners: KeepOn LIVE, European Creative Hubs Network, European Network of Cultural Centres

Greening the Hubs is a European cooperation project aimed at supporting the transition of cultural and creative hubs towards more sustainable and resilient models. Funded under the Creative Europe programme, the initiative focuses on strengthening the environmental competitiveness of the sector by developing new green skills and management practices for cultural spaces.

Through a combination of research, capacity-building activities, and transnational exchange, the project brings together a network of European partners to experiment with innovative approaches to sustainability. Its programme includes online training modules, peer-learning formats, and on-site experiences designed to enable cultural hubs to test and implement new operational models while assessing their environmental impact.

Within this framework, the second Training Hotspot took place in Barcelona from 11 to 13 March 2026, focusing on circularity and material innovation. Hosted by TransfoLAB BCN, the activity gathered project partners and practitioners to explore how material flows can be rethought within cultural production processes, promoting reuse, transformation, and resource efficiency.

The Barcelona programme combined hands-on workshops, site visits, and peer exchange sessions, providing participants with practical tools and methodologies to integrate circular approaches into their daily operations. Particular attention was given to material experimentation and the development of strategies that connect design, fabrication, and sustainability within local ecosystems.

As host organisation and project partner, TransfoLAB BCN played a key role in shaping the content and methodology of the Training Hotspot. Building on its expertise in digital fabrication and distributed production, it facilitated a practice-based learning environment where participants could directly engage with tools, processes, and real use cases. The activities were closely linked to Barcelona’s local context, reinforcing the connection between European collaboration and territorial implementation.

TransfoLAB BCN’s involvement in Greening the Hubs reflects its commitment to advancing circular economy principles within the cultural and creative sectors. By contributing to the development of shared knowledge and collaborative practices at a European level, the organisation supports the emergence of new models for sustainable production and resource management.

Creative Europe cooperation project. Funded by: