The FRUSKA research project and workshop series enables girls aged 10 to 18 to engage in a creative learning and shared creative process who would otherwise have no such opportunity. The goal is to help participants master technological and tool use skills and experience the freedom and consequences of choice through the customisation of items created, and in turn enable them to shape their broader environment. 

“Though disadvantaged women today still need to overcome a great many obstacles during their lifetime, learned helplessness resulting from social disadvantage can be slightly reversed in childhood and early adulthood through adequate experiences”, said Janka Csernák, lead researcher of the project and a member of MOME IC Social Design Hub.  

Supportive teaching is one of the key focuses of FRUSKA workshops. Based on participatory design and mutual learning, the programme is designed to enhance the girls’ self-esteem, sense of autonomy and empowerment to give them better chances later in life and in work. 

The first of the four sessions covered the basics of object design and creating models, while the second involved working with a mirror to promote a better understanding of one’s self. In preparation for the closing event on 19 May, the participants developed designs for their own spaces, eventually creating and decorating seats. 

Currently, the development of a programme for corporate partners is underway. Under the mentorship of girls who have successfully completed the workshop, corporate participants can learn practical skills from disadvantaged youth in a shared creative process. MOME IC is looking for partner companies with a special focus on corporate social responsibility and the support of female employees. 

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The FRUSKA project team is housed by the Innovation Center of Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design (MOME IC), which, as one of the largest creative innovation hubs in Central Eastern Europe, seeks to address economic, social and environmental challenges using design and art competencies. MOME IC announced its first Open Call in 2021 to take its research & development activity to the next level by reaching out to the academic and the broader professional community. The resulting projects that focused around social and ecological responsibility explored the fields of sustainable industry, social design, materials of the future, interaction and immersion, and data and storytelling.