At the associative café Court Circuit on Vernier Street in Nice, a Repair Café workshop takes place every second Saturday of the month. No longer do you need to routinely throw away your damaged device or clothing; volunteers offer their expertise for free to repair them for you.
Originating in the Netherlands, the concept of a Repair Café is part of an ecological, economic, and above all social initiative. Volunteers from all walks of life come to offer their services. They repair all kinds of items for free: a bike, a CD player, a toaster, or even a pair of pants. In this way, waste can be reduced, individuals save money, and get to know other residents in the neighborhood. This creates a sense of closeness among them, all free of charge. Only a donation, according to the willingness and means of the residents, is requested at the end of the workshop.
In Nice, this concept was introduced by Fransiska Groenland, a Dutch industrial designer who has been living in the city since 2005. After contacting the Environmental House, she was able to explain the need for a Repair Café in the city. “I saw one over there and said that Nice needed one. I first contacted a Repair Café in the Netherlands to find out how they were structured and what the concept was specifically. Then, the first contact was with the Environmental House in Nice. It hosted the first two Repair Café workshops,” explains Fransiska Groenland.
Since November 2013, every second Saturday of the month, a workshop has been set up at the Court-Circuit café. It brings together DIY enthusiasts as well as individuals who cannot afford overconsumption. Since then, we have had regular appointments at this location. “Court-Circuit is an associative café. Our goal is to support and provide a space for the expression of other associations in the neighborhood. We share some of the same values. It makes more sense to have a Repair Café in this place,” asserts the designer. Repair workshops will resume next month.
“On a technological level, we are working on a new project. Instead of contacting parts suppliers, we would like to use a 3D printer. That way, we can manufacture our spare parts, such as toaster buttons, for instance. It’s a shame to throw away a device just because its parts are no longer made or it’s broken. It’s something we would really like to do,” emphasizes Fransiska Groenland. “Moreover, we would like to expand to other neighborhoods, such as Nice East, for example.” The designer’s ambition is to offer close proximity to repair workshops for each sector of Nice. By doing so, residents would no longer have to drive to the only workshop in town.
