“Iron Notes Summer Camp 2025 – NextGen Blacksmith” Comes to a Close: A Program Dedicated to Young Blacksmiths

The Iron Notes Summer Camp 2025 – NextGen Blacksmith has officially concluded. This residential professional training camp, part of the Erasmus+ European program and supported by the Tuscany Region, was dedicated to young aspiring blacksmiths from across Europe.

From September 6 to 10, 17 students and 3 teachers from Estonia, Sweden, Norway, and Finland took part in a fully immersive experience in Stia, engaging in workshops, training sessions, and discussions with master blacksmiths Roberto Magni and Martino Stenico.

The camp was hosted at the S.T.I.A. Academy – School Training Iron & Arts, where participants explored new forging techniques, compared traditional and contemporary approaches, and discovered how wrought iron can serve as both a creative language and a cultural dialogue.

The initiative is part of the European project “IRON NOTES – At the Borders of Iron,” which connects institutions, universities, and cultural organizations in a dynamic international network.

The Summer Camp was inaugurated on September 6 at the historic Lanificio di Stia, with an official welcome event for Erasmus students, open to visitors of the European Biennale of Blacksmithing Art.

Now that the in-person camp has ended, the conversation continues online via the Facebook group:
Iron Notes Blacksmithing & Metal Art Community
An international meeting space for blacksmiths, metal artists, students, researchers, and anyone interested in the field, the group is designed to share experiences, tips, inspiration, and reflect on the role of forging and metalwork in tradition, art, and contemporary society.

The goal is to build and maintain an online community of qualified professionals across the EU — a platform that also encourages cross-border collaborations in the creative and artistic sectors, beyond the scope of the core project consortium.

Learn more about our European projects: www.biennaleartefabbrile.it/progetti-europei
Discover the S.T.I.A. Academy: www.stia.academy