Repair Café Conference

12th March 2020
University for the Creative Arts
Farnham
Surrey

Organised by The Centre for Sustainable Design (®) at the Business School for the Creative Industries at the University for the Creative Arts

Background

The 1st Repair Café was established in 2009 in the Netherlands as a grassroots, community-led approach to extending the life of products. Since then the concept has expanded significantly. According to the Repair Cafe Foundation there are now over 2010 Repair Cafes in the world, with new projects being set up daily. In the UK, there are now an estimated 125 repair cafes with number having doubled over last year or so. Due to the skilled nature of volunteers at Repair Cafes, significant repair rates are being achieved: a global study in 2016 indicated that repairers had achieved an average 63% repair rate. In addition, to the environmental benefits, Repair Cafes are reinforcing the importance of social and community dimensions. As the concept of Circular Economy evolves, Repair Cafes are likely to play an increasingly important role in the process at a local level.

Event objectives

The conference will provide up to date information on new research on repair cafes, highlight practical issues associated with running Repair Cafes, showcase innovation and new software tools, and explore policy development at a local level. In addition, the event will provide excellent networking opportunities for existing Repair Cafes or those that are considering setting up a Repair Cafe.

Agenda

Chaired by: Professor Martin Charter, Director and Chair, Board of Trustees, Farnham Repair Café – listen to podcast here, The Centre for Sustainable Design (®), Business School for the Creative Industries, University for the Creative Arts (UCA)

10.00  Registration

10.30  Introduction

Professor Martin Charter, Director, The Centre for Sustainable Design ®, UCA and Chair, Board of Trustees, Farnham Repair Café

Professor Bashir Makhoul, Vice Chancellor, UCA

Counsellor Pat Evans, Mayor of Farnham

10.45  Research into Repair Cafés

3rd Global survey of Repair Cafes

Professor Wouter Spekkink, School of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Erasmus University, Rotterdam

Farnham Repair Café Visitor Survey

Professor Martin Charter, Director, The Centre for Sustainable Design ®, University for the Creative Arts and Chair, Board of Trustees, Farnham Repair Café

Analysis of Farnham Repair Café activities

John Pearce, Trustee, Farnham Repair Café and Technical Authority and Sharon Mohan Kumar, Year In Industry Student, Atkins

Questions and Answers

12.00  Repair Cafés: Key Issues Related to Development, Management and Organisation

Panel discussion

12.45  Innovation: Repair CO2 Calculator and 3D printing and repair

Steve Privett, Trustee, Farnham Repair Café and Consultant

13.15  Lunch/networking

14.15  Speed networking

14.45  Repair Cafés: Lessons related to products

Workgroup discussion followed by short presentations

15.45  Repair Cafés: Policy-making Implications at Local and Central Government Levels

Workgroup discussion followed by short presentations

16.45  Summing up and actions

16.55  Complete questionaires

17.00  Close

Registration

The event is free of charge but you need to register via the booking form here. More information is also attached here on travelling to the event and Farnham

Further information

For more information contact:
Ros Carruthers
The Centre for Sustainable Design ®
Business School for the Creative Industries
UCA
+44 (0) 1252 892772

Funding

Funding received from Research England 2019-20 QR Strategic Priorities Fund. Research England is part of UK Research and Innovation, a public body funded by the UK government. For more information visit www.ukri.org or re.ukri.org