Description
The project addresses the need to expand the activity of the applicant, a regional cultural organization maintaining a network of artists and cultural NGOs. The project aims at developing the applicant’s network of partners, bringing together cultural organizations/artists from Bulgarian and the EEA. First, a campaign to attract new partners will be launched and at least 20 new partners will be identified. Next, a database of the existing and new partners at local, regional and national level will be created. Third, 20 international partners will be identified. In addition, the applicant will take part in 2 study visits to study the experience and good practices in 2 partner states. Finally, a Strategy for the development of a European Network of Crafts and Design will be prepared. The project will benefit the applicant’s network, its existing and future members, artists and cultural organizations.
Summary of project results
The craftsman community in Bulgaria faces serious challenges which made the project necessary to help craftsmen integrate crafts with their various aspects, cultural, economic, social, historical and technological ones in contemporary life. A campaign was carried under the project to establish partnership on local, regional and national level. Meetings and interviews were held with more than 50 masters, evaluation questionnaires from 30 masters in the region were collected and meetings were also held with the Principal of Tryavna School National Secondary School for Applied Arts, representatives of the National Chamber of Crafts and the Regional Chamber of Crafts in Lovech. An analysis was carried out of the potential of folk art crafts for future actions aimed at conservation, training and modern interpretation. As a result of the meetings under the project, a strategy was developed to set up Crafts and Design European Network. The project team started working on the strategy and opened an online store of the Network. In addition, the online platform of Crafts and Design European Network was created (
www.fabrikata.eu/cd/). The platform continues to develop in compliance with the Strategy. Interesting and successful craftsmen and designers were attracted as project participants. They included leading masters in the region, young designers and architects, researchers, curators and managers from Bulgaria and Europe, as well as experts in networking and joint projects between craftsmen and designers. Fruitful interaction could be seen within the Network. For instance, the partnership between Etar Ethnographic Open-Air Museum in Gabrovo and the young architects from Meshtra Group resulted in a project, namely In the World of Architecture of Stara Planina pilot one-day educational programme. During the second stage of the project, partners from Iceland were identified and researched, Iceland being the second country participating under the project as a venue of well-developed and promoted design; in addition, organizations from the Balkan countries involved with traditional crafts and design were also identified and studied. An important positive outcome of the project is the change in the attitude of many of the participants and their awareness of the need to connect crafts with the new developments in design and technology, the way other countries do it.
Summary of bilateral results