On 18 and 19 October 2024, Marseille (France) hosted the inaugural REPper – Repair Festival, aligning with both the French and International Repair Days. The festival welcomed over 800 visitors, offering an opportunity to promote the benefits of repair and reuse, while encouraging the public to learn how to extend the lifespan of everyday objects.
A Festival for all: from consumers to professionals
Designed for the general public, the festival also engaged a wide range of participants, including schoolchildren, consumers, local residents, disadvantaged communities, professionals, and decision-makers. It highlighted the importance of repair and reuse in fostering sustainability across Mediterranean Europe through an exchange of best practices among European partners, strengthening cross-border collaboration.
Showcasing the full potential of repair and reuse:
- Economic opportunities for professionals in the repair sector.
- Training pathways for emerging and future repair professions.
- Evolution of consumer habits towards sustainability
As a collaborative initiative promoting the circular economy, the REPper Festival was developed by AViTeM in partnership with key stakeholders in the French repair sector, ensuring strong representation of local artisans and professionals:
- Réseau Régional des Ressourceries et Recycleries PACA – A regional network promoting resource recovery, recycling, and solidarity-based approaches to the repair sector.
- Chambre de Métiers et de l’Artisanat Régionale PACA – The Regional Chamber of Crafts, mobilising local repair professionals through its Répar’acteurs network.
A multi-location event showcasing repair culture
The festival featured four types of events held across two different locations.
> Terrasses du Port shopping centre: bringing repair culture to the public
Les Terrasses du Port Shopping Centre was selected as a key venue to engage with shoppers and raise awareness about repair and reuse in a high-traffic area during peak shopping hours.
A dedicated event space was provided in the mall’s main aisle to host five artisan stalls, as part of a week-long series of events focused on responsible shopping. The initiative was made possible with the support of Marie Canton, Director of the shopping centre, who welcomed REPper partners with a guided tour.
Programme highlights:
- Two full days dedicated to promoting repair over buying, attracting hundreds of visitors.
- Live demonstrations from expert repairers showcasing various repair techniques, on-the-spot repair services, creative reuse solutions, and expert advice.
- Participation of local artisans, brought together through the Regional Chamber of Crafts’ Répar’acteurs network.
> The Recyclerie Sportive de Marseille: a hub for sports repair and recycling
The Recyclerie Sportive de Marseille served as as the festival’s main venue and a high-visibility local partner. As a dedicated sports repair and recycling hub, it provided the perfect setting to promote sustainability and circular economy practices in the repair sector.
Programme highlights:
- School Educational Visits: Three primary school classes (60 children) explored the solidarity shop, storage and sorting areas, and bicycle repair space.
- EU REPper Partners’ Guided Tour & Professional Exchange: European partners engaged in discussions and best practice sharing.
- Open Day & Self-Repair Workshops: more than 200 participants engaged in 14 interactive workshops, in a Vibrant Atmosphere : Upcycling & DIY Sessions, Introductory Repair Workshops.
