Lug Open Factory

LUG OPEN FACTORY is an integral project for Galicia based on creativity: a response to the marginalization of arts and creative matters in all areas and with special attention to the audiovisual world and prototyping with new technologies. It is also a Youth Service and development of a model to support the creation of social and creative companies in new environments through the empowerment of young people to present solutions to social problems of the future. Our centre is based on a model common to four European countries through the Atlantic Youth Creative Hubs project, a transnational creative youth experience agglutinator. We present an open space, different, where lot of things can be done, and with a very active programming that can be configured to the needs of young people. Our work philosophy is inspired by the design of ideas and projects that we take to various creative areas related to youth. For years we have been carrying out innovative activities in relation to entrepreneurship and non-formal education for young Europeans. In our facilities, young people have the option of using a project and ideas incubator, a coworking space, a technological fablab (3D, VR, laser cutting, fabric printing, audiovisual studio and podcast studio, among other disciplines). When summer arrives, our activities are transformed and seek immersion in free time and nature. In this way we collaborate with several institutions in the realization of volunteer camps as well as other non-formal education programs and immersion in nature, since we are very concerned about the future of the planet. Lug Open Factory works to: - Promote non-formal education and training. - Promote active participation and volunteering. - Promote human rights, tolerance values, equal opportunities, democracy, active citizenship and solidarity. - Supports projects for the inclusion of women in society. - Lug Open Factory is a specialist in new technologies: VR, 3D, audiovisual,... - Increase international understanding and cooperation. - Promote the principles of the European Union and European citizenship. - Promote European values and the strength of European identity. - Promote the popularization of democratic ideas. - Promote, encourage and support the youth actions, initiatives and ideas for better sustainable development strategy on local, national and international levels. - Promote youth participation in the decision-making processes of civil society. - Develop creative potential of the youth. - Emphasize the sport, outdoor activities and a healthy lifestyle as a tool for improving the qualify of life. - Promote nature protection, climate change, zero waste, clean water and sustainable energy. - Promote entrepreneurship and leadership. - Promote art, music and culture. - Promote the development of rural areas and environmental protection. - Promote cultural diversity, youth employment and intercultural dialog. - Support the social inclusion of young people with fewer opportunities: especially young people with disabilities. - Fight against discrimination issues of gender equality, marginalized groups (minorities and refugees), hate speech and racist prejudices. LUG OPEN FACTORY has experience on cooperation and networking. It also has a deep experience with young people through the performing of different kind of non formal education activities through workshops, trainings and activities (local jams, transnational jams, Design Thinking, etc.) Due to its collaboration with the Atlantic Youth Creative Hubs Project, the L.O.F. has also experience with transnational groups of young people, the use of new technologies through its own FabLab (3D printing, laser cutting, podcast, filming and photography). The association has also plenty of experience in the performing and management of activities for young people, as a multidisciplinary centre the L.O.F. has developed activities acting as a school of spare time; managing workcamps and summer camps and teaching and issuing certification for Monitors and Directors of this field. We have recently started in the realization of Erasmus + projects and we have developed a programme called Youth Voices of Europe (www.youthvoicesofeurope.eu ). With this we intend to give voice to the concerns of young people through different projects promoting creativity, the design of ideas and the spirit of change and creating future challenges for young Europe. In this sense, we have already developed two projects: Rural Voices of Europe, where young people from different rural areas of Europe have studied the problem of uninhabited areas and they have provided viable solutions. We have also developed the Animal Voices of Europe project where young people reflect on animal welfare in rural and urban areas of Europe. Design Thinking and Technology Activities: - Ideas and Projects Incubation Space: with the participation of other national and international associations, and the University of Santiago de Compostela (Spain), L'Ecole de Design Nantes- Atlantique (France) and Plymouth College of Art (UK) we develop ideas and projects with innovative methodologies in the world of Design Thought. (60 young people a year work on their ideas in our facilities.) - Fab Lab: we maintain an open space with new technologies so that young people can make (free of charge) their physical and immaterial prototypes with the help of experts and specialists. - Coworking Space: keep us a free coworking space 24/7 where we have more than 12 creative start- ups hosted: film producers, graphic designers, illustrators, digital marketing agencies,... - Non-Formal Education School: approved by the regional government, we provide regulated non- formal education for young people who want to work in the field of leisure and educational free time. Youth Mobility: Lug Open Factory is a very active entity in youth mobility activities, where it welcomes young people in the Volunteering phase, Creative Residences and Internships. Our advantage is that our center offers free accommodation in an exclusive space for these young people as well as a creative program for their training and development of their skills. In this, it collaborates with several European entities and programs, among which are: EuropeanSolidarity Corps, Erasmus Entrepreneurship, Eu4Eu, Reaj,... in addition to welcoming young people from various schools in France and Wales, and from Italian, French, Portuguese and European universities. Environmental activities: L.O.F. develops environmental prototyping activities so that youth seek practical solutions to problems we currently have with climate change and the 2030 Agenda; which is why he participates in several projects of this type. Its main activist action is carried out with the National Park of the Atlantic Islands of Galicia where we develop activities for the recovery, revitalization and dissemination of the natural values of youth with more than 100 young people during the summer who form the National Park volunteer work in environmental recovery.