Update: we have now announced the full programme for Fixfest 2022. Find the full programme here.
Fixfest has always been a chance for the repair community to exchange ideas, stories, experiences and skills. In London and Berlin, we started getting to know each other and began laying the foundation for a truly global community committed to nurturing, expanding and advocating for repair around the world.
This year, we’re delighted to announce an exciting programme for Fixfest in Brussels that builds on this foundation. With speakers from every continent (except Antarctica), we can’t wait to see you all!
The programme will focus on four core themes:
- Repair in our communities
- The Right to Repair around the world
- Repair & education
- How to repair…
Fixfest Online is also happening on Sat 02 Oct and will feature speakers from around the world as well as an in-depth exploration of what repair in educational contexts might look like. We will announce a separate programme for this soon. For more information about Fixfest 2022, including links to book tickets, visit the main page here.
In the meantime, here’s an overview of the Fixfest 2022 programme. Please note that some sessions may be added, removed or changed between now and Fixfest.
Friday 30 Sep: European Right to Repair: still loading ⏳
Fixfest officially starts on Friday the 30th of September with a morning of talks from professional and community repairers, innovative tech start-ups and environmental NGOs about how EU policies can be instrumental in overcoming remaining barriers to repair. We will also dive into the environmental savings and socio-economic opportunities that transitioning out of the throw-away economy of electronics could bring to Europe.
This event is organised by the steering committee of the European Right to Repair campaign. It will be held at Maison des Associations Internationales (MAI) in Brussels and will also be streamed live online. For more information and a full programme, visit the campaign’s website.
Right to Repair Stunt
On Friday afternoon, join our protest to keep the pressure high and attract visibility to the right to repair movement. We want to send a clear message to EU policy-makers: EU citizens are fed-up of waiting for the right to repair their devices.
On 30 Sept 22 from 16h00 to 17h30 we will gather on the Place René Cliquet, Bruxelles, 1050 BE. This is a busy commercial street that features several flagship shops of the throwaway economy. Before the event, from 14h00 to 15h30 participants will have the opportunity to join a cardboard workshop to create some impactful signs together.
To sign up for this stunt and for more information, visit the campaign’s website.
Saturday 01 Oct: Community Day 1
On Saturday, we’re planning a full day of sessions across all four themes. In the afternoon, there will be open slots available for anyone who would like to run their own short session. Lunch will be provided. All events on Saturday will happen at Les Ateliers des Tanneurs.
Right to Repair
- National and regional approaches to repair policy: sessions exploring pro-repair policies in France, Austria, the EU and beyond [EN & FR]
- Barriers to repair: sessions investigating the issues that make repair difficult (such as premature obsolescence) and ways to document these [EN & FR]
- Campaigning for change: sessions discussing how we can organise, stratagise and push for a real Right to Repair as a global movement [EN]
Repair in our Communities
A series of workshops, presentations and conversations about how community repair can work
- At events: How to engage visitors at community repair events [EN]
- In theory: Exploring how we understand repair in a community context [EN]
- With others: Networks of repair: sessions about community repair in Vienna & Benin [EN & FR]
Repair & Education
- Building a Repair Culture with education: sessions exploring how to get children and young people repairing in formal education and beyond [EN]
- Educational materials: sessions presenting resources and tools to help teach repair and why it matters [EN & FR]
How to repair…
A series of workshops, presentations and conversations about specific repair skills, tools and techniques, including:
- 3D-printing for repair [EN]
- microsoldering [EN]
- maintaining your sewing machine [FR]
- visible mending [EN & FR]
- e-bike repair [FR]
- and more…
Unconference
On Saturday afternoon, we will have a number of open spaces. Anyone will be welcome to propose and run a short session on the day about any relevant topics of interest.
Party!
We’ll end Saturday with a party/reception for everyone at Fixfest to celebrate the Repair Community.
Sunday 02 Oct: Community Day 2
Sunday will also feature a number of sessions and more opportunities for you to run your own. Lunch will be provided. After lunch, we will run a Repair Café open to the public. Feel free to bring your broken devices or repair skills! All events on Sunday will happen at Les Ateliers des Tanneurs.
Right to Repair
- Campaigning for change: another session discussing how we can organise, stratagise and push for a real Right to Repair as a global movement through the connections we make at Fixfest and International Repair Day. [EN]
- National and regional approaches to repair policy: two sessions exploring the state of repair in the EU. [FR & NL]
Repair in our Communities
- How how to run repair events in your community [EN & FR]
- New models for community repair: sessions about repair on the high street and sharing initiatives [EN]
How to repair…
A series of workshops, presentations and conversations about specific repair skills, tools and techniques, including:
- Reviving an old PC [FR] and upgrading to Linux [EN]
- An introduction to smartphone repair [FR]
- What kind of Fixer are you? [EN]
Unconference
On Sunday morning, we will have a number of open spaces. Anyone will be welcome to propose and run a short session on the day about any relevant topics of interest.
Repair Café
From 2pm to 5pm, we’ll wrap up Fixfest with a public Repair Café using Repair Together’s famous Repair Café Mobile. If you would like to volunteer at the Repair Café, please let us know how you can help here.