On October 15th, 2024, the Futures Designed project held its Final Conference – “Exploring Green Futures in Education and Design” at Silversquare Central, Brussels, bringing together educators, designers, researchers, and creative professionals from across Europe to discuss the future of sustainable and inclusive design education.

The hybrid event marked the culmination of the two-year Erasmus+ KA220-HED project “Futures Designed: Integrating the New European Bauhaus into Art and Design Education.” Over the course of the evening, participants explored how micro-credentials and practice-based workshops can support the green and digital transitions in creative disciplines.

The conference opened with remarks by Dr. Anna Merry Economou, Project Coordinator from Frederick University (Cyprus), who reflected on the project’s impact across four partner countries, Cyprus, Greece, Italy, and Lithuania, and its alignment with the principles of the New European Bauhaus (NEB): beautiful, sustainable, and inclusive.

Speakers included Becky Riches (Materahub, Italy) on the role of micro-credentials in cultural and creative industries, Christina Dymioti (Fashion Heritage Network) on sustainable fashion and heritage, and project partners who presented NEB-inspired case studies from local communities—ranging from community gardens in Matera to the cultural ship Nemuno7 in Lithuania.

The event concluded with a collaborative workshop led by Doris Kailos, “I am a T-Shirt Bag,” inviting participants to transform old t-shirts into reusable tote bags, a playful act symbolizing the project’s commitment to circularity, creativity, and transformation.

The conference served as both a reflection and a call to action, demonstrating how higher education, creative practice, and policy can work together to design greener, fairer futures for the next generation of designers.