Newsletter 1: Welcome to Open Relief

Welcome to the first OPEN RELIEF newsletter!

We are excited to share the news that OPEN RELIEF, “Empowering Communities through Open-Source Creative Solutions for Crisis Preparedness and Humanitarian Innovation”, has officially launched! Funded by the European Union through the Creative Europe Programme, this 24-month project brings together partners from Croatia, Greece, and Ukraine to reimagine how communities prepare for crises.

This newsletter will keep you updated on our activities, results, and opportunities to get involved. We hope you will follow our journey and help us spread the word!

OPEN RELIEF officially launches with online kick-off meeting

24 & 27 March 2026

The OPEN RELIEF consortium held its online Kick-off Meeting on 24 and 27 March 2026, marking the formal start of the project’s implementation. Across the two meeting days, partners introduced their organisations, revisited the project’s framework and objectives, and discussed key practical and strategic aspects of implementation, from legal and financial matters to deliverables, work packages, communication, and next steps.

The meeting established a shared understanding of the project’s direction and reaffirmed the consortium’s commitment to cross-border collaboration, social inclusion, and innovation rooted in lived experience. These principles are at the heart of OPEN RELIEF’s vision: preparedness as a participatory and empowering process, not just a technical response.

What is OPEN RELIEF?

OPEN RELIEF addresses a pressing gap in current emergency preparedness approaches. While Europe is placing increasing attention on 72-hour survival planning, many existing tools remain single-use, difficult to repair, and poorly adapted to the cultural, practical, and emotional needs of the people who rely on them.

Our project responds by placing cultural and creative sector (CCS) professionals at the centre of preparedness innovation, connecting them with humanitarian actors and communities in participatory co-creation processes. Over 24 months, we will:

▸ Co-develop 11 open-source preparedness solutions, including water filters, modular shelters, repairable tools, and digital guidance resources

▸ Train and engage 150 artists, 100 humanitarian workers, and 300 community members in humanitarian design, frugal innovation, and crisis literacy

▸ Publish all results as open-source, freely shareable and locally adaptable, reaching 1,000+ organisations across Europe and Ukraine

▸ Launch a multilingual awareness campaign reaching 500,000+ citizens

What’s next?

In the coming months, the OPEN RELIEF team will be working on:

▸ Establishing the Community of Practice (CoP) in each partner country, connecting creatives, humanitarian actors, and community members.

▸ Finalising the Communication & Dissemination Strategy and launching the project website.

▸ Beginning capacity building activities: training partners and stakeholders in the OPEN RELIEF methodology, frugal innovation, and humanitarian design.

▸ Preparing for the first in-person Consortium Meeting in Zagreb, Croatia.

More updates on activities, partnerships, and results will be shared in the next issue. Stay tuned!

Meet the consortium

IM INDUSTRIES | Coordinator | Croatia

Leading project coordination, capacity building, and participatory design residencies for marginalised communities.

KNUTD — Kyiv National University of Technologies and Design | Beneficiary | Ukraine

Bringing expertise in digital fabrication, engineering design, and frugal innovation from Ukraine’s conflict-affected context.

LATRA EE | Beneficiary | Greece

Leading communication, dissemination, and managing hybrid hubs for participatory design with refugees and displaced creatives.

Stay connected

Follow our journey and be the first to hear about open calls, events, and new resources:

Facebook: facebook.com/openrelief1

Instagram: @open_relief

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/open-relief

Website: Coming soon!

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