Social Label

Social label cocreates design products as a key for new perspectives of vulnerable groups. The project kicked off in 2011. Motivated by social changes and the quest for alternative ways to live and work together as part of a cultural festival in September 2011.

Designers, architects and artists build in 10 days an experimental village together with local organizations such as health care organization Woodworks of the Amarant group. There was a seminar and there were not enough benches. The makers of the workshop didn’t hesitate a moment and started to make them themselves. With the permission of designer Piet Hein Eek the first Social label >HOUT (wooden furniture) started with sheltered workshop Woodworks. Together with Piet Hein Eek the makers of workshop Woodworks made the collection of furniture in 2012. Roderick Vos is the second designer to offer his support with Social label-product line >VAAS (ceramic vases) in 2013. Then Marc Mulders with >MASK (pillows) together with a sheltered workshop for disabled people; Haiko Meijer designed > STILL made by deaf people; Dick van Hoff with >VEEG (brooms of recycled bicycles);Borre Akkersdijk >SCHORT (clothing) together with school drop outs; and Edwin Vollebergh >KOM tableware together with disabled people and people with psychological problems.

MANAGEMENT

Initiators Petra Janssen (Studio Boot) and Simone Kramer (C-mone) are developing new product ranges and work, and linking sheltered workshops (care organisations or businesses) to designers who understand the new work flow, to create customised products that offer opportunities. Design, art and communication as ‘openers’ to start reshaping processes through participation, care and employment.

Social label asks designers to come up with a customized design that will make good use of their talents, so that they can grow, acquire craftsmanship, and be offered valuable jobs. The products allow us to tell a story and generate new opportunities.

DESCRIPTION OF SERVICES

Design creates socio economic opportunities for disadvantaged persons in the ‘working world’. Social label is a new ‘work concept’ for people with a distance to the labour market. Social label involves designers, companies (social firms), healthcare and governmental organisations for new possibilities.

Social label is a new concept for work and daily activities for people with a ‘distance to the labour market’. Art and care are combined in this initiative in order to create new product lines. In each of the lines the social welfare workers will have an exclusive bond with a renowned designer. The designer enlarges his or her portfolio with a very special cooperation, moving a value based approach centre stage addressing human dignity, slow design, attention and time. These products will be produced, presented and sold by workers in different social workforce centers.

PRODUCTS
  • HOUT (wooden furniture)
  • VAAS (ceramic vases)
  • MASK (show pillows)
  • VEEG (brooms)
  • STILL (wooden silence cabinets)
  • SCHORT (apron)
  • KOM (mugs and bowls)

Online shop: http://www.sociallabel.nl/winkel/

FINANCING/FUNDING

Supported by DOEN foundation for impact driven organisations and Brabant C-foundation for innovations in art & culture

PARTNERS

Several designers, municipality, social services, science, other Social Enterprises

Social Movement
The design products are the key to creating valuable work and initiating a conversation with care professionals, social entrepreneurs, science, governments and designers to help create an inclusive society. Social label is bringing together different worlds in more ways than one to achieve a more people-oriented economy. Other activities include round table discussions and debates. Social label is actively working on a social movement.

LOCATION

Local, regional – situated in the Werkwarenhuis in ’s-Hertogenbosch
National scale- working together with different social firms, workshops in the Netherlands (by making productranges we are making a movement towards a humn centred society together with key persons in science, health care, and goverment)
Upcoming months we have an exposition at the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (OCW).

International scale – Social label is a international brand working with international renowned designers; participating in events as Dutch Design Week, PROUD, expo in Madrid, Turin, ..and several publications in Italy, US, Z-Korea, ..

TARGET GROUP/SOCIAL PURPOSE

People with a distance to the labour market.

DURABILITY AND SUSTAINABILITY

To discover and develop the individual qualities are important policy themes for the government, institutes in health and also companies. Art and culture are able to contribute. Creating something of special value, creating products that matter, products that are valued for their functional and aesthetic value is important to all of us, especially to people with a distance to the labour market. That’s what we call: Socio economics.

We are working on different levels for an inclusive society:

Labels & communities – Design that changes people’s life.
Self esteem, proud and craftsmanship as important human values are the starting point for designing customized work . We are slowly building a social sustainable collection for one house. You buy the broom for life!

Platform – Sharing a new view on labour and participation.
The whole approach offers fresh insights to the participating institutions and the people who manufacture the products, as well as the designers involved and the buyers of the products. And this leads to new ideas and spinoffs. Adding new images and stories to break stigmas and mix different groups in society

Werkwarenhuis – Worldy products locally made.
In 2015 we opened the WERKWARENHUIS in ’s-Hertogenbosch, a national place where all the product ranges come together; an open meeting space where workers, designers, volunteers, entrepreneurs facilitate unexpected encounters and inspiring exchanges. To find alternative solutions to work, care and participation in society. For an inclusive world.

AWARENESS

In 2014. We just started in 2011 because of a need/question in society with the first pilots

FUTURE DEVELOPMENT PLANS

Narrowing the gap between the social model and the economic model. By designing new processes in work, care and participation based on the talents of people ‘who you are and what you make. Social label contributes to increase employment opportunities for people who want more than anything else to be part of society. The Social label-products are just ‘the key’. Through the products we tell the story of the makers, we build the stage to show their talent and involve the public.

We explicitly invite others to contribute and cooperate in order to bridge the gap of some of us to society and the labour market. Social label has future plans to encourage companies to offer employment for vulnerable groups in society by introducing special Social label-product lines. In this way companies are connected with a top designer and meaningful quality products, and most of all offering social value, contributing to an inclusive society.

Design, art and communication as ‘openers’ to start reshaping processes through participation, care and employment.

ADVICE FOR STARTING UP A SE

Stick to your mission and develop your vision while working on it by observing the needs and opportunities. You have to be flexible as a person and organization to move forwards

WEBSITE: www.sociallabel.nl

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