Everything began in 2016, when the Fondation d’entreprise Hermès launched the Manufacto programme for a pilot year in partnership with the Paris board of education and in collaboration with the Compagnons du Devoir et du Tour de France. Under the guidance of a seasoned expert, 150 pupils were able to gain a practical understanding of artisanal gestures by fashioning a contemporary object out of wood or leather – step by step, from start to finish.
Ten school years later, more than 2,300 primary and secondary school pupils are now learning the skills of leatherworking and carpentry, as well as upholstery and plasterwork. Three further boards of education (Clermont-Ferrand, Nancy-Metz and Poitiers) are joining the programme this year, bringing the number of partner boards of education to 19 and the number of participating schools to 102.
Across all age groups, the Manufacto programme unfolds according to the same principle: over the course of 12 sessions, each pupil makes one of 13 objects designed specifically for the programme. They are accompanied by a trio of professionals: a craftsperson, an assistant and their usual schoolteacher. An object, designed according to demanding and carefully thought-out specifications, has been imagined for each age group. In this way, Manufacto offers a veritable immersion in the world of artisanal skills: pupils can discover the vocabulary, tools, techniques and, of course, the materials that it entails. As they progress through the different stages, each of them can experience first-hand the rigour, dexterity and mutual support that are part and parcel of craft, along with the pleasure of making things with one’s own hands.
While Manufacto may help pupils to find an unexpected vocation, the programme aims above all to promote craft trades with which pupils are often unfamiliar. Over the course of the sessions, the gestures passed on spread among the pupils and improve the classroom atmosphere, while helping teachers engage them with fundamental curricular skills in a different way, in a rich and formative collective experience for all involved.
