Repair Café International has published an anniversary documentary about 15 years of Repair Café. The launch of this film on Friday 18 October – exactly 15 years after the opening of the very first Repair Café – marked the start of the anniversary celebrations in The Hague.
In the documentary, by video maker Johan Zwaan, Repair Café creator Martine Postma, among others, looks back on the start and development of the Repair Café movement, and the many positive results this international movement has achieved in the meantime. Martine also looks ahead: ‘In the coming years, we want to achieve structural changes in education so that more attention is paid to teaching repair skills, because only in this way can we shape a circular economy.’
Repair lessons in primary schools and higher education
The documentary highlights several initiatives that already anticipate this: from a structural Repair Kids Class in Oegstgeest, to courses on repairable design at Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences and Delft University of Technology, to the appearance of more repairable products on the market.
Watch the documentary here (you can activate English subtitles via settings):
This is so inspiring. Soon municipalities will join in on the fun and scale up the circular economy, including recycling centers that repair or otherwise harvest components from failed appliances. I appreciate the idea that “we can’t all create apps to make a quick buck,” and that the world needs a larger emphasis on reuse and repair. Our children will benefit from learning this at a young age. I have worked many Repair Cafés in the San Luis Obispo, California area, and used to work at iFixit. Right to repair is very dear to me.
Repair Café has been one of the most successful ventures in our area of the world – Somerset in the UK – because it not only saves people money, shows them how to mend things, reduces waste, reduces CO2 emissions, but also brings people together in a happy, non-judgemental atmosphere where they can all enjoy success together. The café side is very important as the delicious cakes and smell of real coffee makes for a very friendly, hospitable and warm atmosphere. Thank you Martine, so much, for your original very wonderful idea!!
Thank you, Laura, for this lovely compliment!