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International craft workshops by the Organza Student Research Group

Opublikowano: 28/04/2026 12:04 pm

Organza Student Research Group presents its projects during a meeting with the Swedish Royal Couple

The Organza Student Research Group, operating at the Faculty of Chemistry of the Warsaw University of Technology, carries out research projects at the intersection of engineering and design. The team’s main scientific focus includes wearable technologies and advanced sensors applied directly to textile materials. Beyond laboratory work, the organisation is active in building a community around the fashion sector through numerous events and socially oriented initiatives.

The Common Thread project’s concept

The group’s latest initiative, called The Common Thread, was launched thanks to funding from the Enhance Diversity Seed grant. The project is entirely free of charge and aims to present craftsmanship as a tool for connecting communities and as a carrier of cultural values. Registration for all events in the series opened on 1 April. Information about available places is published on the Organza SRG Facebook page.

May events schedule

The project includes a series of meetings and workshops planned for the first half of May. The cycle will open with a discussion panel titled “What does craftsmanship tell us about Eastern cultures?”, held on 5 May.

The following stages of the project focus on hands‑on learning of traditional techniques. On 9 May, embroidery workshops with craftswomen from Belarus and Ukraine will introduce participants to the principles of creating the Ukrainian accessory known as ladunka. On 14 May, Oleksii.ttt will lead a session on the handpoke tattoo technique. Cross‑stitch workshops are scheduled for 16 May. The series will conclude on 18 May with classes on the basics of traditional bookbinding, delivered by the CMYK Student Research Group.

Educational value and international dimension

The project enables direct knowledge transfer from international specialists, allowing participants to develop precise manual skills. Working under the guidance of artisans from Belarus and Ukraine creates space for discovering diverse traditions and fosters respect for multicultural approaches in design.

“We were inspired by conversations with creators for whom craftsmanship is a calling, and who had to seek refuge in Poland under threat of imprisonment because of their art,” says Zofia Nowicka, the project coordinator. “This shows that art can serve as a platform for addressing important social issues. The initiative became possible thanks to the support of the Kraina Foundation and the CMYK Student Research Group at WUT.”

The coordinating group and project partners include: Karolina Ciszewska, the Kraina Foundation, the CMYK Student Research Group, Zofia Nowicka, Oliwia Pelc, Marta Staranowicz, Yehor Yehorov and Ewa Zielińska.