In 2020 Vlisco&co designed a workshop in Abidjan called Print Futures. The workshop was designed to trigger dialogue on contemporary symbolism, the future, the planet and to create fresh narratives on aesthetics. The exercises aimed to give freedom to experiment on techniques but also on each participant’s fascinations and handwriting.

Subsequently, because of Covid-19, Vlisco&co published an open call to West and Central African young talent to submit portfolios for what would be the first online Pan-African Print Futures edition.

By December 2020, 12 participants were selected to join the workshop and they all received a designer wearable tool-kit, created to provide the top materials for the best textile print designers. The participant countries were Congo, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Benin and Togo and Vlisco&co organized individually equipped working stations in their home cities for all of the participants. In this way the students were able to work remotely but together without having to leave their own cities.

See all works here: https://www.vliscoandco.com/printfutures1.0/