Networks, Internationalization and Social Dimensions in the Artistic and Contemporary Crafts Sector

European Union European Regional Development Fund

Networks, Internationalization and Social Dimensions in the Artistic and Contemporary Crafts Sector

European Union European Regional Development Fund

Networks, Internationalization and Social Dimensions in the Artistic and Contemporary Crafts Sector

INNOCRAFTS – INNOvating entrepreneurship policies in the CRAFTS sector has been approved and co-financed in the framework of the Interregional Cooperation Programme INTERREG IVC, financed by the European Union’s Regional Development Fund. The Programme helps European Regions to work together in order to share experiences and good practices in the fields of innovation, knowledge economy, environment and risk prevention.

PROJECT PARTNERSHIP 



Municipality of Florence (IT) – Lead Partner www.comune.fi.it National Association of Italian Municipalities Tuscany (IT) www.ancitoscana.it

 National Institute of Arts and Crafts (FR)

www.institut-metiersdart.org  Public Foundation The Legacy of al-Andalus (ES)

www.legadoandalusi.es  Bistrita Municipality (RO)

www.primariabistrita.ro  Regional Association of Municipalities “Central Stara Planina” (BG)

www.rso-csp.org  Burgas Municipality (BG)

www.burgas.bg  Chamber of Commerce of Barcelona (ES)

www.cambrabcn.org  Riga City Council Department of Education, Culture and Sports (LV)

www.iksd.riga.lv  Vilnius Old Town Renewal Agency (LT)

www.vsaa.lt  Reims City Council (FR)

www.ville-reims.fr  Design & Crafts Council of Ireland (IE)

www.dccoi.ie  Budapest Enterprise Agency (HU)

www.bvk.hu  Slovak Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SK)

www.sopk.sk  Vaasa University of Applied Science (FI)

www.muova.fi

SUMMARY

EDITORIAL, Tanja Oraviita

1. NETWORK AND INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT, Xavier Greffe 1.1. Introduction 1.2. The benefits of creating networks encompassing different sectors:

the tricky union of artistic crafts and design 1.3. Networks as a lever for accessing international markets 1.4. From networks to a solidarity economy 1.5. Accessing international markets: a mirror with two faces 1.6. Internationalisation, professional networking and information exchange: main lessons 2.

5 9 11 12 13 13 14 14

INTERNATIONALIZATION, PROFESSIONAL NETWORKING AND INFORMATION EXCHANGE GOOD PRACTICES 2.1. Teixidors de Terrassa 2.2. TAITO Business Service 2.3. Tuscan Home 2.4. International Fair Fund 2.5. Support the development of folk art 2.6. The International Charter of Artistic Craftsmanship

17 18 20 22 24 26 28

3. PROMOTION OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP AMONG SPECIFIC TARGET GROUPS SUCH AS YOUNG AND FEMALE ENTREPRENEURS, Xavier GREFFE 3.1. Introduction 3.2 Identification of targeted groups 3.3. Key challenges

3.3.1. Creating One’s Own Job

3.3.2. Creating One’s Own Company

3.3.3. Mobilising Specific Forms of Creativity

3.3.4. Attracting Workers to Deserted Professions

3.3.5. Building Self-Confidence 3.4 Mechanisms

3.4.1. Meeting Places

3.4.2. Training Places

3.4.3. Incubation Places

3.4.4.Follow-Up Support and Cooperation Networks

3.4.5. Initiative transferability and main lessons 3.5 Initiative Transferability and main lessons

31 33 34 36 36 36 37 37 37 38 38 38 39 40 40 41

4.

43 44 46 48 50 52 54 56

PROMOTION OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP AMONG SPECIFIC TARGET GROUPS SUCH AS YOUNG AND FEMALE ENTREPRENEURS: GOOD PRACTICES 4.1. Female and Young Entreprenurship on the Routes of the Legacy of Al-Andalus 4.2. Bottega Scuola 4.3. Contemporaneamente 4.4. Art Pauma 4.5. Region FEMME 4.6. CRAFTed 4.7 Union des Couveuses

5. CONCLUSIONS, Stéphanie Gille, Antoine Videau, Alexandre Bertault

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5

EDITORIAL Tanja Oraviita

EDITORIAL Tanja Oraviita VAASA UNIVERSITY OF APPLIED SCIENCES

The European culture and society are characterised by a mixture of old and new, and big and small.

This patchwork creates unique structures which form the basis for Europe’s competitive advantage.

The biggest is not always the most beautiful, but, for instance, diversity, tradition, quality of life, art and expression are highly valued.

Europe is full of small and highly creative companies. Handicraft companies are part of this group.

Although appreciated, these companies face many challenges. Internationalisation, activity area coverage, professional isolation, and finding a skilled work force are among the issues to tackle. At the same time society struggles with labour-related challenges, providing the right skills for jobs and social exclusion.

Together the small and big, the old and new, can have the capacity to increase competitiveness, mobilise, provide jobs, and conserve culture and professions. Small companies often need “big ones”, e.g. support structures, to flourish. Solid support structures (the big and new) with the capacity to cross national borders, create value networks, internationalisation and multidisciplinary movement that may create development nerve paths between areas of society, actors and businesses.

Reciprocally, handicraft (the old and small) can provide substance and soul to society. Handicraft is warm, protective and culturally feminine. It provides opportunities, skills and substance for jobs, conserves culture, assists manifesting ideas, and its form language is a vehicle of emotions and memory. Handicraft, as a historical part of it, has natural links to different areas of society. Looking at the small and traditional may provide novel solutions to professional and societal challenges.

This dual combination of old and new – big and small is also present in the INNOCRAFTS project, thus raising its value. INNOCRAFTS is not only a place to share experiences and good practices but also a place to provide examples of this dual combination and outline the beginning of the new era of European handicraft. As Louise Allen from the Design & Crafts Council of Ireland wrote in the first INNOCRAFTS publication of good practices, there is a significant potential of growth. This second INNOCRAFTS publication of good practices focuses on internationalisation, professional networking, information exchange and promotion of entrepreneurship among specific target groups.

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1.

NETWORK AND INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT Xavier Greffe

1.

NETWORK AND INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Xavier Greffe Professor at the University of Paris 1 - Panthéon-Sorbonne Expert for the National Institute of Arts and Crafts - INMA

1.1. Introduction In the third stage of our analysis we examined the subject of networks and international development.

These two subjects are obviously linked since it seems that the only way for individual entrepreneurs or small enterprises to achieve significant development nowadays is to access international markets.

But, most of the time, to access these markets they must work in a network with other partners.

This logical link is now reinforced by the fact that these companies gain not only by having a better local presence, but also by taking advantage of the opportunities created by the global economy, particularly by giving thought to the niches which may be interested in their products and which, although small, are great in number.

The starting point is obviously the importance of networks for craftspeople, who often manage small companies unable to integrate all the necessary skills. In this respect the participants are generally agreed:

•

Working in a network gives you the means to solve problems which would be too difficult to solve on your own, if only because the costs would be too great. So networks are worth it because they make it possible to pool resources and thereby reduce their cost, or even to access resources which you didn’t have previously, but at a realistic cost.

•

But networks aren’t just defensive. They also make it possible to do things that you couldn’t do on your own, precisely because you have the benefit of shared resources or because you can implement new synergies.

These two aspects of forming networks can be seen from the variety of initiatives presented. However it should be noted that the network is not an all-purpose operation or a recipe for success. It also presents risks which can sometimes cancel out the expected positive benefits, as demonstrated by some practices, such as the cost of forming and managing the network or opportunistic behaviour adopted by certain members of the network who then turn against the interests of the other members.

Examination of the practices also identified another approach to networks. Most of the time networks are envisaged as mechanisms which make it possible to increase business, by pooling costs or conducting a joint search for new prospects, particularly internationally. But networks can be appropriate for companies themselves as regards their internal organisation, as well as for companies which, at first glance, are not in the same industry, but which may benefit from meeting and working together. In other words, networks are not just a way of jointly managing certain specific economic interests but also a way of better combining the relevant human resources or of forming partnerships which may seem unusual at first but which become understandable when they make it possible to solve difficulties.

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What are the main lessons learned from the comparison, discussion and selection of the initiatives?

Six stand out:

• Networks have a role to play from the very moment the company is formed, since craftspeople may have to cooperate among themselves to preserve the originality and quality of their products.

• Networks also have a role to play in the consolidation and innovation of existing companies if they require advice and support for the various aspects of their business: setting prices, choosing products, launching their business on the internet, etc.

• Networks also have a role to play in bringing together businesses from sectors which may initially have little in common due to cultural or economic reasons. This is demonstrated by the problem of establishing links between the craft and design sectors.

• Networks clearly have a role to play in accessing international markets, and the link between forming a network and accessing international markets is vital.

• Accessing international markets can, while also bringing considerable economic resources, create tensions for artistic-crafts companies. Economic success may come at the expense of producing original items, meaning that the craft side to the business disappears.

• Lastly, by organising the craft sector into a national and international network, artistic crafts become a sector of the solidarity economy, supporting the values of sustainable development, and are not vestiges from the past.

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Forming a network reduces the handicaps which craftspeople must deal with, but it doesn’t remove them entirely. The relevance of these networks can be summed up as follows. During the last financial crisis the expression “too big to fail” was used to emphasise the fact that very large companies should not be permitted to fail, no matter what mistakes they had made. Artistic-crafts companies could be described as “too small to grow”. In other words, these small companies are in markets which are often fragile and so find it hard to grow. So networks are a mechanism enabling them to incorporate, at a given time and in a sustainable manner, the skills and resources which allow them to develop their business and, in so doing, strengthen the economic and social fabric of their area, no matter how far it is from their markets.

1.2. The benefits of creating networks encompassing different sectors: the tricky union of artistic crafts and design All the partners believe that it is necessary to build high-quality, enduring links between the craft sector and design. Of course, craftspeople can rightly be considered to be the traditional designers of their own activity. But what was valid when producing mostly for local markets, where the craftsperson was in almost direct contact with the buyers of their products, is perhaps less so in the age of globalisation, when one must pique the interest of far-off consumers who are for the most part unknown and located in niches far from the craftsperson’s environment. So there is a need for information on the kinds of products likely to interest distant markets. This need is all the greater since the severing of links between craftspeople and the users of their own products is often a factor in drying up their creativity. Conversely, there are a growing number of designers specialised in observing changes in needs and demands, and in experimenting with new products.

Although seemingly logical, this link is difficult to establish since the cultures of the craft and design sectors can differ greatly in practice. According to several participants in the network, this divergence is the result of the design sector’s different cultural approach. Whereas craftspeople want to design their products in such a way as to make them as effective as they are beautiful, designers take an essentially artistic approach to the problem and are far less interested in the intrinsic characteristics of the goods and services, the very characteristics which make them useful.

Worse, some of them believe that theirs is the “noble” part of the activity and that the craftspeople are underlings at best. It has also been observed that students graduating from design schools, which are integrated within schools of fine art, think in reference to an artistic creation with no geographical ties, completely ignoring both local resources and the fact that craftspeople are deeply rooted in their local community. So the challenge lies not in deciding whether or not to create links between craftspeople and designers, but in how to build a constructive relationship.

From this point of view, the FUSE project, presented for the theme 2, the positive effects of which can be measured today, is highly relevant. For a reasonable cost, it succeeded in creating lasting relationships between craftspeople and designers which enhance craftspeople’s own self-image and make their products more competitive.

1.3. Networks as a lever for accessing international markets It is clear that networks have a role to play when it comes to accessing international markets and the link between forming a network and accessing international markets is vital. The reasons for this are well known: given the costs involved, accessing new, high-risk markets requires specialist skills.

The size of artistic-crafts businesses means they are unable to take on such costs or even, at best, share them.

These markets cannot be studied just once; they must be constantly monitored, and, if necessary, an after-sales service must be provided for certain products. All too often the presence on an international market is reliant on a sole buyer who, finding themselves in the position of monopsonist, imposes conditions on the craftsperson that they may struggle to fulfil as regards either volumes or prices which are only slightly above their own cost price.

Two practices were closely examined here: the Tuscan Home project, set up by the Economic promotion agency of the Regional Administration of Tuscany; and the International Fair Fund, set up by the Design & Crafts Council of Ireland

1.4. From networks to a solidarity economy Presented by Florence city council and Artex, the International Charter of Artistic Craftsmanship is the cornerstone of the role that networks can play in the economic and social sustainability of craftspeople:

•

It decrees a number of principles necessary to achieving such an objective.

•

It creates a large network giving craftspeople a collective voice and conveying fundamental values for sustainable development.

15

More precisely, the aim of the Charter is:

•

To launch a debate on the major problems, strong points and weaknesses, and on the prospects of artistic crafts that are analogous even in countries with different business systems and production traditions.

•

To create an international network of professional structures specialised in artistic crafts in order to increase the visibility of the sector and to enable artistic-crafts associations to work as a lobby.

•

To share information on topics concerning artistic crafts that serve as a basis to identify strategies for developing, improving, protecting and promoting artistic crafts at an international level.

This charter has now been signed by more than 60 institutions, municipalities and regions in Europe.

This shows that the artisan economy is a lever of economic, social and cultural development insofar as it considers and adapts its own values. It is not the past, and the existence of networks allows this passage from the past into the future.

1.5. Accessing international markets: a mirror with two faces

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Mobilising the network to access international markets is a lever for artistic-crafts companies to enter new markets and ensure their survival. But some partners have also pointed out the risks in this strategy, in particular the fact that craftspeople can be obliged to change their activities and products.

The principle is simple: to penetrate international markets you have to take into account the dominant global tastes, which can have a detrimental effect on craftspeople’s creativity and dry it up in the long term. The problem is no longer that they don’t know how to access the global market, it is that in accessing it they run the risk of distorting their own creations. Riga city council highlighted the significance of this perceived risk in relation to the dilution of the identity of Latvian products put on the market, particularly clothing.

1.6. Internationalisation, professional networking and information exchange: main lessons What are the main lessons learned from the comparison, discussion and selection of the initiatives?

Six stand out:

•

Networks have a role to play from the very moment the company is formed, since craftspeople may have to cooperate among themselves to preserve the originality and quality of their products.

•

Networks also have a role to play in the consolidation and innovation of existing companies if they require advice and support for the various aspects of their business: setting prices, choosing products, launching their business on the internet, etc.

•

Networks also have a role to play in bringing together businesses from sectors which may initially have little in common due to cultural or economic reasons. This is demonstrated by the problem of establishing links between the craft and design sectors.

•

Networks clearly have a role to play in accessing international markets, and the link between forming a network and accessing international markets is vital.

•

Accessing international markets can, while also bringing considerable economic resources, create tensions for artistic-crafts companies. Economic success may come at the expense of producing original items, meaning that the craft side to the business disappears.

•

Lastly, by organising the craft sector into a national and international network, artistic crafts become a sector of the solidarity economy, supporting the values of sustainable development, and are not vestiges from the past.

Forming a network reduces the handicaps which craftspeople must deal with, but it doesn’t remove them entirely. The relevance of these networks can be summed up as follows. During the last financial crisis the expression “too big to fail” was used to emphasise the fact that very large companies should not be permitted to fail, no matter what mistakes they had made. Artistic-crafts companies could be described as “too small to grow”. In other words, these small companies are in markets which are often fragile and so find it hard to grow. So networks are a mechanism enabling them to incorporate, at a given time and in a sustainable manner, the skills and resources which allow them to develop their business and, in so doing, strengthen the economic and social fabric of their area, no matter how far it is from their markets.

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2. INTERNATIONALISATION, PROFESSIONAL NETWORKING

AND INFORMATION EXCHANGE:

GOOD PRACTICES

2.1. TEIXIDORS DE TERRASSA Good Practice Promoter: Teixidors de Terrassa

Presentation

20

Terrassa, together with Sabadell, Igualada and Mataró – all located in the area surrounding Barcelona - were cities with important textile industries. This industry was structured so that it subcontracted to small, hand-operated looms. Many of the products that were made in the area were distinguished by their quality, and this was the great textile centre which supplied most of Spain. "Teixidors of Terrassa" is a cooperative dedicated to handcrafted production of textile garments. Teixidors – or “weavers” - not only creates products, but is essentially a shared social project. It produces handwoven materials. To prepare the products, natural raw materials are used with fully handcrafted and environmentally-friendly techniques. The social project began in 1983 with the aim of creating jobs and supporting people with learning difficulties. The handloom is a tool that allows the coordination of mental and physical activity, generating the proper development of psychomotor skills. The work of Teixidors is framed within the parameters of the social economy.

It creates one-of-a-kind products, made with premium materials and always following a completely manual process. It is a philosophy of work which entails a commitment to the uniqueness and beauty of these original pieces. Teixidors is sustained by handiwork, whether that of the people who undertake the work, or the handmade tools and processes they use. Much of the online sales volume has been developed through the active website. The catalogue for online sales is very artistic, innovative and highly developed. Besides online sales, the typical sales channels are furniture stores for the home textiles, and clothing and apparel stores for the clothing.

Evaluation and outlook Teixidors de Terrassa has 44 employees, of whom 32 have mental disabilities. Looms are used that work like they did in the pre-industrial years: made of wood and using human strength. The people who form part of the cooperative and work in it are hired through special educational schools and social services.

The products are much admired, as demonstrated by the awards they have received: National Handicraft Award 2008 (Premio Nacional de Artesanía 2008); Bufí & Planas Award 2009; José María Piñol Award 2009; President Macià Award 2010; Leef Award (International Contemporary Furniture Fair), Editors Awards for the largest textile collection at New York Fair 2011.

Contact TEIXIDORS DE TERRASSA Juan Ruiz, partner and co-founder juanruiz@teixidors.com www.teixidors.com

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2.2. TAITO BUSINESS SERVICES Good Practice Promoter: The Finnish Crafts Organization Taito

Presentation

22

Taito Group is a private organisation that supports the development of the handicraft sector. This development has been executed under various programs, their socio-political justification being to increase the competitiveness of the creative sector and its enterprises in Europe according to the Lisbon strategy. Taito Network and classified advertisements is a marketplace for handicraft, arts and craft products and services. Information about entrepreneurs, associations, stores and experts in the sector is available here as part of the Finnish handicraft know-how. Taito Business Services is a modular and versatile business service for existing and starting-up craft entrepreneurs. The service set is formed of various packages addressing different needs identified in the area. The expert consultants, Taito business advisors, guide the entrepreneurs through the process. In addition to traditional face-to-face consultation, the services of the Taito Group are also available via online meetings – web conferencing.

Evaluation and perspective Taito business services have helped a couple of thousand craft entrepreneurs.

As regards the development of this programme, it has been noted that most craft entrepreneurs use the internet as a part of their business. Professional Facebook profiles, blogs and online shopping sites have given lots of new business opportunities. Therefore Taito Business Services gives priority to providing online services. Certain packages lend themselves well to online meeting tools and have received good feedback. But although products and services have to be online, they must also

be purchased locally where customers are located. A new development project aims to expand Taito Business Services to craft shops; these are near to local craft entrepreneurs and easy to approach.

Floor managers know the local business and have down-to-earth expertise. Taito Business Consulting training for floor managers has just begun and a first team of six floor managers will start consulting supports.

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Contact The Finnish Crafts Organization Taito Marika Sarha, Development Manager HELSINKI marika.sarha@taito.fi

2.3. TUSCAN HOME Good Practice Promoter: Artex - Centre for the Artistic and Traditional Craft of Tuscany

Presentation

24

The project is aimed at Tuscan handicraft businesses and SMEs in the sectors of tableware, kitchenware, home decor and giftware, with both classic and contemporary types of productions, characterised by a medium/high to high level of quality. The artistic-craftsmanship sector which the project addresses is characterised by the presence of numerous small and medium-size businesses with great manufacturing excellence that, in keeping with ancient traditions, create handicraft products made of ceramic, crystal, glass, wrought iron and other metals, fabric, wood and paper. These are handicraft businesses and SMEs that traditionally have turned to the U.S. market as the main commercial outlet, adapting their product over the years to the taste, demands and expectations of that market. Analysing its trade relationship with the United States, the Tuscan craftsmanship sector shows the following characteristics:

~ Excellent production, customising capabilities of the product and great business flexibility in adapting to customer demand. Market research conducted in the United States confirms that product customisation is highly valued by the American consumer.

~

In most cases, the main customer has been for years the importer, who controlled the market, often putting his trademark on the product, and making the price too high. This trade policy did not allow businesses to differentiate their customer portfolio (resulting in greater vulnerability in a crisis), to know the market properly, or to acquire their own direct visibility within the market.

~ A product still with an appeal on the U.S. market, but that suffers from a loss of competitiveness compared to the competition (due in particular to a worsening of the Euro/dollar exchange rate, increasingly higher transport costs, and a crisis in the international market which has reduced the purchasing power of the U.S. consumer).

~

There exists a "market failure" in terms of the ability of businesses to start marketing and commercial strategies aimed, on the one hand, at identifying new and alternative targets and, on the other hand, at obtaining a more competitive position for the product compared to the competition. It is obvious that such strategies require huge investments, which often handicraft businesses and SMEs cannot have, especially if they operate in isolation from the rest of the sector.

Evaluation and outlook The results are very significant. After eighteen months, 45 Tuscan companies were involved; 15 stores involved were located in 10 different U.S. states; 1176 products were presented; 130 meetings took place between operators and business owners; 85 orders were placed for a total value of â‚Ź130,000; and finally 15 promotional events were organized.

Contact Artex Maria Elena Angeli mariaelena.angeli@artex.firenze.it www.artex.firenze.it

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2.4. INTERNATIONAL FAIR FUND Good Practice Promoter: Design & Crafts Council of Ireland

Presentation The International Fair fund was established in 2010 to assist Design & Crafts Council of Ireland enterprises in accessing international markets. It focuses specifically on commercially-focused craft businesses who have a strong export strategy and who have the skills and capacity to operate in the market they are targeting. The fund is open to all commercially-focused craft enterprises with a proven record in domestic retail markets who have a product that is suitable for export markets.

26

The purpose of the fund is to provide financial support, on a match-funding basis, to makers for attending wholesale fairs abroad. It is open to all registered clients in the Republic of Ireland and funding is for attendance at international trade events in the UK, Europe and USA. This fund has a partner: The Western Development Commission (WDC), which is a statutory body that was set up to promote both social and economic development in the Western Region (Donegal, Leitrim, Sligo, Mayo, Roscommon, Galway and Clare). It has agreed to provide €10,000 in funding over the next three years The fund provides match funding up to the value of €4,000 for wholesale trade fairs abroad. Successful applicants are offered a maximum of 50% of the cost of: economy return airfare or ferry; stand costs; product transport/freight costs; accommodation. Actually the maximum subsidy per show is €1,500 for the UK, €2,500 for Europe and €4,000 for the USA.Applications must be for fairs or shows taking place during the relevant year. Craftspeople can apply for support for a maximum of three events – but there is no guarantee that funding will be granted for all fairs applied for. In order to claim the subsidy applicants must produce appropriate receipts for all expenditure (under the headings listed above). Proof of payment and currency exchange must be provided.

Applications are assessed by an independent panel of experts, and where demand for funding exceeds supply, applicants scoring highest, based on the criteria below, will be awarded funds. Selection is made by an independent panel of experts. Demand for support outweighs supply of funds, so competition is stiff. The selection panel will assess applications on the criteria as outlined below, based on the scoring mechanism/weighting of each heading: Export strategy (25/100); Market knowledge & understanding (20/100); Suitability to market (25/100); Export capacity (20/100); Quality of the application (10/100).

Evaluation and outlook The project has been very well-received by all parties involved, including the local population, even though the main beneficiaries seem to be tourists and children living in the city.

A certain number of significant outcomes have been observed: 17 installations; 63 specific temporary exhibitions; 14 training seminars open to the general public; 192 workshops for school children; 11 trade fairs since 2001. Nearly 200 jobs have been created (full-time equivalent over the year), as well as an association for the artists and craftspeople involved in the scheme (Fine Crafts Association of Vilnius), which is highly significant in a domain where people tend to seek individual solutions automatically rather than joining forces with others.

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Contact Design & Crafts Council of Ireland Nicola Doran, Retail Programme Manager Nicola@dccoi.ie www.dccoi.ie

2.5. SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF FOLK ART Good Practice Promoter: Riga City Council, Society “Latvian Folk Art Union” State Culture Capital Foundation (SCCF)

Presentation The State Culture Capital Foundation (SCCF) is a public foundation active since 1998. Its main goal is to favour a balanced development of the culture and art field and the preservation of the cultural heritage of the country in accordance with the guidelines of the state culture policy. The SCCF opens the opportunity to every person working in the field of culture to receive financial support for the implementation of creative ideas and projects in a tender procedure. Each year the SCCF financially supports the projects implemented by individuals and legal entities for the development of all culture fields, including traditional culture.

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A significant contribution to the folk art development and support is also provided by the local authorities in Riga, Ventspils, Jelgava and other cities. The Culture office of the Culture and Sports department of the Riga local authority supports folk art in several directions: 1) Provides financing for the premises of folk applied art studios and paying the wages of FAAS managers; 2) Organises traditional culture event competitions and provides financial support for project tenders that include project chapters “Musdienu kulturas forums “Balta nakts” (the contemporary culture forum the White night) and “Rigas svetki” (Riga City Festival).

The fairs in Riga are characterised by traditional clothing of masters and demonstration of skill.

Riga City organizes folk applied art studio exhibitions and crafts skill demonstrations of Riga masters in cooperation with commonwealth cities within the framework of international projects. There are two to three events a year.

Evaluation and outlook State Culture Capital Foundation has supported project in the traditional culture sector, which included education and visibility of the traditional culture and crafts, research and transfer of the traditional cultural documentation, as well as the different measures, which were aimed at promoting the provision of access to the traditional cultural value of local and international audiences. In 2010

funding of Eur 88545 (LVL 62230), in 2011 – Eur 123505 (LVL 86800) and in 2012, supported 129 projects for an amount of Eur 137519 (LVL 96649).

Riga city organises folk applied art studio exhibitions and craft skill demonstrations of Riga masters in cooperation with commonwealth cities within the framework of international projects.

Experience exchange events 2010-2013:

~ 30th International Hanseatic Days – craft demonstrations in Parnu, Estonia, 24.-27.06.2010 (3 participants);

~ Riga days in St.Petersburg – exhibitions ”The Masters of Riga” in St.Petersburg, Russia, All Russia Museum of Applied and Folk Art, 05-27.10.2011 (participated 31 FAAS);

~ Hanseatic City fest – craft demonstrations in Pskov, Russia, 20-22.07.2012. (5 participants); ~ Riga Days in Moscow – exhibition ”The Masters of Riga” in Moscow, Russia, Moscow ~ ~

Museum, 4.11-18.12.2012. (participated 31 FAAS); Exhibition of the FAAS ”Auseklis” and ”Rota” (metal, textile) in Tallin, Estonia, 0131.07.2012 (8 participants); The Florentine Art and Craft Foundation Folk Applied Art open house days in Florence, Italy, 14-17.12.2012. (3 participants);

Contact

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Society ”Latvian Folk Art Union” Gita Priberga, Coordinator for International relations latviesu.tautas.maksla@gmail.com www.tautasmaksla.lv State Culture Capital Foundation www.vkkf.lv

Maryse Maillard Felix Maitre-verrier

2.6. INTERNATIONAL CHARTER OF ARTISTIC CRAFTSMANSHIP Good Practice Promoter: Artex - Centre for the Artistic and Traditional Craft of Tuscany

Presentation

30

The aim of the Charter is: ~ To launch a debate on the major problems, strong points and weaknesses, and on the prospects of artistic crafts that are analogous even in countries with different business systems and production traditions. ~ To create an international network of professional structures specialised in artistic crafts in order to increase the visibility of the sector and to enable artistic-crafts associations to work as a lobby. ~ To share information on topics concerning artistic crafts that serve as a basis to identify strategies for developing, improving, protecting and promoting artistic crafts at an international level.

From the start, the Charter underlines the special nature of artistic craftsmanship and the values it disseminates in society: Artistic crafts include: ~ creations, productions and works of high aesthetic value, whether inspired by forms, models, decoration, styles and techniques that are traditional or historical, or the result of individual creative development and of personal and artistic forms of expression. ~ works which are mainly carried out using manual techniques, at highly professional technical level, using equipment, but excluding wholly mass-produced works; separate mechanised or automatic work stages are allowed, using innovative techniques and hightechnology instruments. ~ works of restoration, designed to conserve, consolidate or restore works of art, or objects of architectural, archaeological, ethnographic, bibliographic or archival heritage.

Relating to research and innovation: ~ In order to give strategic responses to businesses’ needs for innovation, a new concept of innovation should be defined that is compatible with the dimensions and characteristics of artistic-crafts companies. ~ Alongside classic innovation relating to products or technology, this new concept involves innovation of the cognitive and organizational processes required to create innovation that is lasting and not sporadic. ~ This is strategic innovation, sustained by a type of organisational innovation, partly by devising models for the development of network systems.

Relating to training: ~ Sustaining training models inside businesses and activating tutoring circuits. ~ Mapping on a European scale, at both secondary and tertiary levels, training suitable for artistic crafts, with the further aim of setting up a European training system. ~ A network might also be set up of schools of excellence that already have traditional artistic crafts in their training courses. ~ A sort of “continuous training� for craftsmen might be planned, or rather, their constant updating in technical and productive aspects, as well as aesthetic and formal ones, in marketing, product communication and legislation. ~ Creating an integrated service system that includes schools as research locations.

Relating to education: ~ The history of artistic crafts must be written on a national and international level, with reference also to the development and history of the principal arts: there is need to introduce courses in the history of artistic craftsmanship at all educational levels. ~ This would have the effect of strengthening a common European culture and creativity, necessary for the affirmation of a common European identity in artistic crafts.

Evaluation and outlook This charter has now been signed by more than 60 institutions, municipalities and regions in Europe. This shows that the artisan economy is a lever of economic, social and cultural development insofar as it considers and adapts its own values. It is not the past, and the existence of networks allows this passage from the past into the future.

Contact Artex Elisa Guidi e.guidi@artex.firenze.it www.artex.firenze.it

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3. PROMOTION OF ENTREPENEURSHIP AMONG SPECIFIC

TARGET GROUPS SUCH AS YOUNG FEMALE ENTREPENEURS

Xavier Greffe

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3.

PROMOTION OF ENTREPENEURSHIP AMONG SPECIFIC TARGET GROUPS SUCH AS YOUNG FEMALE ENTREPENEURS Xevier Greffe, Professor at the University of Paris 1 - Panthéon-Sorbonne Expert for the National Institute of Arts and Crafts - INMA

3.1. Introduction The promotion of entrepreneurship to target groups such as women and young people, extended logically from the first three stages of the INNOCRAFTS Programme, which dealt respectively with business models, innovation and networking, bringing more detail to the general discussion themes through concrete examples, as well as casting light on the very original contributions which target groups can make to entrepreneurship and creativity.

It may, of course, come as a surprise that this theme was structured in terms of groups, when the market values only the ability to put together realistic projects and manage them in an appropriate manner. In other words, the challenge of developing innovative craft enterprises could be said to depend less on recognition for categories than on the identification of actual entrepreneurship qualities, whatever the age, gender or geographic origin of the project owners. However, that position is doubly out of step with reality:

•

First of all, whether creating new activities or passing on existing activities, a conducive environment needs to be organized, or at least an environment that does away with a number of obstacles which lone players cannot take down themselves. In that respect, it is a wellknown fact that some groups are more subject to discrimination than others, and that it will always be easier for some than for others to gain access to the services they need. For instance, women who take on heavy burdens in child-rearing will be marginalized by certain systems that prefer to turn to men, who appear to offer greater availability. The same can be said of young people, the decisive criterion in that case being experience.

•

Secondly, specific groups can lay claim to a degree of originality and thus specific creative potential that can be extremely beneficial in developing new products or services; in a field where the “lines” are often short, products suited to a specific need and not always visible or given due consideration when thinking on an industrial scale, can indeed turn out extremely useful, and this is precisely what members of certain groups offer, as a result of their distinct positions in society.

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The structure of the report reflects four major themes:

•

The first is the identification of the target groups and the reasons to consider specific types of action.

•

The second has to do with the challenges in response to which the actions are developed.

It is one matter to identify the reasons for which interest is paid to a specific group, but this knowledge is of little use unless there is also an understanding of what can be expected from this action and which attitudes or responses will be able to form the foundation for entrepreneurial projects

•

The third pertains to the mechanisms used, highlighting the differences that can exist between relatively general mechanisms and mechanisms aimed at specific groups

•

The final segment will deal with the transferability and main lessons of such initiatives.

3.2 Identification of target groups

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As emphasised above, the main contributions focused on women and young people, yet brought out the fact that there exists a wide variety of target populations within those groups.

With women, for instance, very different profiles emerged, ranging from elderly women who had lost their jobs and held no further qualifications, to young female students at whom programmes were targeted to show the opportunities offered in the crafts sector, which sometimes paved the way for knowledge transfer.

•

The Legacy al Andalus project, offers women who have lost their jobs or wish to find work the chance to take part in training sessions, during which they can gain a sense of the potential demand for products of this kind and how they can go about producing them.

•

Region Femme offered a helping hand for entrepreneurs, mostly women from Bratislava and Trnava Region in Slovakia and Vienna and Lower Austria Region. A large scale of educational and networking activities was developed in this project. For example: seminars oriented on the business environment in Austria and in Slovakia and also soft-skills seminars. Other very valuable activities were: visits of experienced companies, business to business meetings, consultancies for women who aimed to set up or extend their activity abroad.

•

One of the initiatives undertaken by the Burgas City Council was entitled The Youth Entrepreneurship Market and the Study Enterprise: aimed at female (or male) students. It is actually a project competition, such that participants may gain recognition or awards.

In other words, while it is not defined outright as being intended for a specific target population, it uses processes that actually mitigate any discrimination against women, and exemplifies a very constructive way of approaching their problems.

•

The Art Pauma Initiative, in contrast, is aimed at women who, often, have already worked for a relatively lengthy amount of time in the rural environment, but have lost their jobs due to the closing of certain markets. Wicker and palm weaving then become a way for them to become involved in a traditional craft in which they can put their existing skills to new use within a relatively short amount of time and find their place on potential markets, the entry costs of which are furthermore very low.

Where young people are concerned, a wide variety of initiatives can also be found involving quite a varied range of profiles.

•

The initiative Bottega Scuola is geared toward young university graduates with the aim of attracting them to the field of craft conservation and restoration. By giving them an immersion experience in a professional environment, the project introduces them to a new culture. These are not necessarily underprivileged young people, as the expression ‘target groups’ might imply, but rather young people to whom the project offers helpful information and solid training.

•

As an example, the Burgas initiative also offers helpful information and solid training to young people, as it aims not only to offer recognition for some of the participants’ more promising ideas, but also to turn them into projects, thanks to the support of interested companies, even, in some cases, pairing creative young people with companies eager to provide their resources, both financial and human.

There exists another highly original initiative, though: CRAFTed, presented by the Design & Crafts Council of Ireland. This initiative is actually aimed at children and teenagers in upper or lower secondary education in Ireland. The project’s concept is to build initiation to craft professions into students’ regular curriculum through courses given by master craftsmen, working in conjunction with the school instructors. The aim is obviously not to bring the young people into the crafts sector, but rather to raise their awareness about what it holds, the values interwoven in it and the kinds of activities to which it opens the door.

Another “traditional” target group was given relatively little attention during this stage: immigrant workers. However, the Franciade association has demonstrated, in a so-called disadvantaged area, home to a number of different communities, how archaeological activities were both a source of development and confirmation of important heritage, creating a link between those who lived there before and those who will live there in the future, i.e. mainly immigrants from Africa. Over the last twenty years, Saint Denis and the neighbouring municipalities in the suburbs of northern Paris have nurtured a dream of rediscovering the rich archaeological heritage of this area, mainly through associations. The “Franciade” association, set up in 2002 has been developing economic activities and combining the scientific, cultural and social dimensions required for sustainable development.

Instead of focusing only on the traditional local heritage, it has pointed out the intangible heritage belonging to the Moroccan, Malian and Senegalese communities. Actions are designed specifically for women from these communities who boast specific know-how and designs in domains such as pottery, textiles and the culinary arts. This cooperation gives rise to new products and even leads to associations such as Femmes dans la Cité.

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3.3. Key Challenges Generally each initiative addresses several challenges at once, regardless of the stated aim, the only difference being found in the degree to which they are emphasised or served. At the outset, each initiative generally lies somewhere between two fundamental challenges for the members of a target population: creating their own job or creating their own enterprise. In the former case, the aim will be to ensure that people become involved in productive projects that at least ensure them adequate living income; in the latter, it is to turn those projects into a sustainable organisation destined to create further jobs.

3.3.1. Creating One’s Own Job

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This is clearly the greater of the two challenges, whether it implies creating a single job for oneself, or creating an enterprise the size of which has not been determined at the start. The social integration dimension can sometimes prevail over entrepreneurship itself. This can be seen in the case of Art Pauma, or The Legacy Al Andalus: the aim is first to restore the target populations’ ability to earn a living through their work, generally by developing a product over which they will keep control. This is done by focusing first on the characteristics of the person and the conditions that need to be fulfilled in for that person to produce and have their production recognised. Projects thus need to be designed in such a way as to determine, as pragmatically as possible, the resources that will enhance a person’s capabilities, without necessarily aiming from the start to create an enterprise that will employ other people. As a result, when the time comes for participants to become part of an organisation as a cooperating member, they tend to opt for non-profit companies or cooperatives. Such structures are better suited to organise workers who need to both remain relatively independent, so as to gain self-confidence and develop their activities, but also benefit from the solidarity of shared networks; more restrictive or hierarchical structures would hardly be able to offer this. This is particularly noticeable when it comes to women, though it is not the only model. In contrast, where young people are concerned, the range of options appears far wider, as the challenge is not merely find resources, but rather to set out the most sustainable courses.

3.3.2. Creating One’s Own Company This objective appears very clear-cut for both target groups considered, young people and women, as shown in Region Femmes and Union des couveuses, which started out with an enterprise structure as the logical outcome of the tools and materials it would produce. The problem here lies in determining how the balance between project-based support and individual independence should shift over time.

This brings back to the fore the traditional debate about incubators, the only difference being that the target populations here are often people who have never been on the job market or have dropped out of the working world, having hardly had a chance while there to take on real responsibilities.

Their profile calls for at least significant support in the form of information sharing, follow-up and experience-sharing

3.3.3. Mobilising Specific Forms of Creativity Mobilising sources of creativity other than those predominant on the crafts market is a distinct challenge that requires an astute response. It could be said that the challenge is inherent in the crafts sector, in that the latter always emphasises the ability of craft workers to adjust their production in response to changing needs in the everyday, and thanks to the often direct contact that can exist between a craft worker and his “customers�. While this is a fully warranted statement, it also needs to be recognised that it is often jeopardised in practice, due to the fact that the traditionally close ties have often slackened and that competition from industriallymanufactured substitute products often make it necessary to put aside technically- or sociallyinnovative projects planned.

Yet immersion in the crafts sector for women or young people does offer a way, if not to overcome the challenge as a whole, then at least to irrigate the crafts sector with new references, observations and solutions. This can be very clearly seen in the production of everyday objects, whether textile or material objects, or even more generally speaking, what is referred to as material culture. The same is incidentally true of immersion for immigrant populations. The Franciade initiative emphasises just how much the members of the African communities involved were able to bring new life to the design and references of an association that that, up to that point, drawn inspiration from more traditional heritage. In the El Andalus initiative, examples were cited showing how people managed to change their reference points through contact with a heritage unfamiliar to them up to that point.

3.3.4. Attracting Workers to Deserted Professions Attracting workers to deserted or sometimes even extinct professions is another aim sought by the programmes. Two relatively different case types emerged, however.

In the first, the aim is more to rebuild lost professions for which markets and potential demand still existed, thanks to the niche areas secreted by globalisation.

In the second case, the idea is to attract individuals to professions and activities that did exist and for which markets were available, but which were not able to find the human resources they needed.

The diagnosis that gave rise to Bottega Scuola typifies this situation.

3.3.5. Building Self-Confidence Before individuals can create their own jobs and enterprises, they need to step out of their isolation, enrich and bring forward their skills and create social capital, all of which, while not a guarantee of success in a specific job or entrepreneurship endeavour, can be put to good use in other activities, from business, to social work, environmental protection, etc. Franciade offers another telling example here: an immigrant population in an underprivileged suburb saw one of the world’s leading luxury brands, Hermes, use its drawings to produce objects of exceptional and universally-recognised quality. This observation, too, holds true for all groups. It has most often been highlighted with respect to women as opposed to young people, probably because the latter are more and more frequently come to the job market with a broader education, while many of the women seeking work did not benefit from the same level of training twenty or thirty years ago

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3.4 Mechanisms 3.4.1. Meeting Places

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The most basic mechanism used is the meeting place. It can seem very simple, but for people who often live in isolation and, in some cases, have lost their job, contact with others often serves as the catalyst for embarking on a proactive journey. Some projects, like the Riga workshop or The Legacy Al Andalus, gave participants tithe chance to take stock of their situation and understand how to changes in their environment could create new opportunities. This, of course, is only the starting point and the value of such settings peters out very quickly if the individual does not put together a personal plan that will lead at least to jobs, or even to the construction of an entity.

The Burgas Initiative: Youth Entrepreneurship Market deserves to be mentioned on its own, as it is a meeting place and a market. Its actual objective is to provide opportunities for young people with business ideas and wishes for professional development to present and develop their own business idea, as well as to get acquainted with potential investors and partners, which could finance and support its realisation. Three devices are then mobilized: a competition highlighting relevant projects; practical workshops between these young students and existing interested enterprises; and meetings with experts in the respective business field. The winning ideas were: the idea of an internet platform helping to easily find the right workman for home repair; a system for electronic management of library through creation of an intelligent information system; an idea for planting of roof and other free spaces.

3.4.2. Training Places Training is frequently used, either because the target populations do not have the qualifications needed to complete tasks as now needed, or because their qualifications need to be supplemented.

The initiative Female and Young Entrepreneurship on the Routes of The Legacy of al-Andalus offers training sessions aimed at improving the quality of employment and the fight against job insecurity.

These training sessions will include mainly the following contents: accounting and finance advisory and advice on finding public aids; theoretical and practical information about resources for SME development, self-employment and employability of women in the field of cultural and rural tourism including crafts, restaurants, hotels, tourist guides and different kind of companies associated with this sector. Internship programmes put together for young people raise other issues. Young people are more and more frequently coming out of school or university education with more training under their belt. However, that training may prove ill-suited for a variety of reasons, from the need for additional training to unfamiliarity with the prospects offered, or the environments themselves, which sometimes require a better understanding of opportunities and potential. Bottega Scuola is one of the most telling initiatives in this regard. Young people graduate from university programmes with already-significant degrees in conservation and restoration, but with far more general knowledge than concrete understanding and skills.The Bottega Scuola performs the role of a veritable training agency that aim to safeguard sectors and production techniques at risk of extinction; provide a first response to the problem of transferring the firm and of the generation renewal within the field of artistic handicraft; increase the knowledge of the techniques and the materials by young graduates with artistic and design degrees with the purpose of creating a renewed entrepreneurial spirit in the sector; train for new entrepreneurs in a sector characterized by high added value, that requires specific skills.

Some will argue at this point that this is redundant with the apprenticeship system used in the crafts sector, and that it is even less beneficial, in that apprenticeship contracts are employment contracts offering compensation and entitling holders to social benefits. Yet the value of Bottega Scuola lies in the fact it reaches another target population: young people with generally little or no access to apprenticeship programmes, which are based on interprofessional agreements and are intended first and foremost as a stepping stone on the way to vocational rather than university training. Today, we need to address the distinct challenge of young people with strong general training that has proven of little relevance with respect to the demands of a specific professional environment.

One initiative midway between training institutes and incubators is the enterprise school or school offering mock enterprise experiences, though it should be noted that the packages they offer are not limited to the craft sector alone. This format is being considered in Burgas. Their objective is to develop in students skills and situation techniques, which could be multiplied by the team in real life conditions, as well as to implement uncommon trainings oriented towards the solving of work problems resulting in concrete decisions and action plans. The simulation of entrepreneurial thinking, the finding and making sense of the economic links and interrelations, the mastering of key qualifications, for example the ability to work in a team, the language competency, as well as the application of that knowledge, all teach the learners to be mobile and flexible in their international professional environment and activity and form the basis of lifelong learning. The whole activity of establishing contacts and operating the enterprise is carried out in the electronic space, an innovative form of practically oriented learning and education.

3.4.3. Incubation Places This is the most traditional mechanism, though it is rare to see incubators in this area dedicated to a specific target group. As incubators prepare individuals to build sustainable projects and companies, there appears little reason for them to be specific to certain categories of labour, unless they themselves are focused on certain types of projects. During the first phase of the INNOCRAFTS Programme, a number – albeit small – of such incubators was identified, including Incubateur des entreprises de design de Reims for young people from the Fine Arts and Design School. It was observed at that time that, while the format was very helpful, its benefit came from the fact that it enabled participants to work together in networked form, as opposed to its efficiency, which was very limited. In addition to this group-specific incubator initiative, it is worth mentioning one pseudo-incubator the DesignCamp project, presented by the University of Alto. It is a multi-and cross-disciplinary process which brings together enterprises and higher education students. This process aims at giving SMEs the possibility to develop early stage ideas and to try out how design can influence the development of their business and competitiveness. The objectives of the process are to strengthen the use of the market-oriented design in SMEs, develop SMEs’ innovation potential and skills by the means of design and multi-disciplinary approach, and to bring together education, innovation, SMEs and (applied) research.Out of all the initiatives presented during this stage, it appears difficult to identify those incubators that are fully-focused on a target group. An original approach should be mentioned at this point: l’Union des couveuses that innovated by creating a new phase of the start-up development: the test phase. The business incubators are able to apply CAPE (Contrat d’Appui à la Création d’Entreprise), a special contract signed by the entrepreneur and the business incubator. This Support Contract for Business Projects allows entrepreneurs to start to produce, to sell, to do business without registering the company, in other words, without actually

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creating the company. It creates a business trial phase, a new stage in the entrepreneurs’ path.

For entrepreneurs, CAPE contract is especially attractive because they can start their business, so they can learn how to manage, they can explore their market and at the same time maintain their unemployment or other social benefits. With CAPE contract, the set-up is experimental: the business is legally and fiscally hosted by the business incubators structures. This Support Contract for Business Projects allows a time-limited trial business phase. If many entrepreneurs test their business in different informal ways before to start (with their family, friends and close people), CAPE contract institutionalises this entrepreneurial first experience / first step.

3.4.4. Follow-Up Support and Cooperation Networks The effectiveness of this type of mechanism has been widely-lauded by participants and has been made part of many initiatives. There are two reasons for this: • The isolation in which many target group members live does not dissipate overnight, regardless of the type of support they receive.

• The aim is not merely to ensure that the first project is launched successfully, but to extend that success into the future or enable the shift to a second project, which is incidentally the top determining factor as to whether the creation of a first job will lead to other new jobs.

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Most of the initiatives presented accordingly emphasised the importance of support and cooperation: • For Art Pauma, “Meetings of the Llatadoras from the Terres de l’Ebre” have been held in Mas de Barberans. A group of 20 retired women, aged 65-83 and master artisans in pauma work, give a demonstration that lasts a whole day.

• For Heritage Al Andalus, days of exchange of good practices in companies of the sector in Andalusia and the Route of the Caliphate are regularly organised.

• For Region Femme, many meetings of Slovak and Austrian entrepreneurs are organized for generating new contacts, cooperation and exporting activities. Visits of experienced entrepreneurs that aim to share information about their business origins, discussion about the problems and legislation in both countries, recommendations, and the integration of private and family life are frequently organized.

• For Contemporaneamente, the cooperation between many diverse audiences, including young people (notably via educational institutions) and the support of the municipality to this citizens’ initiative, made it easier. This project that mixes traditional crafts and contemporary culture, also fosters the involvement of younger artists.

3.4.5. Initiative transferability and main lessons It is a well-known fact that the transferability of any initiative depends on the ability to strike a balance between that which is transferable (the lessons that can be learned from the mechanisms set up within a given setting) and that which is not (the characteristics due to local circumstances).

Regarding the lessons learned, the following points are worthy of note:

•

It is best to be neither too narrow nor too restrictive when initially designing the programmes, as the target populations are generally dealing with specific problems, which will need to be addressed on a case-by-case basis, in other words, very flexibly.

• The concept of training should be understood as a set of positive experiences, probably quite removed from the stereotypical definition of initial training, given that many of the people interviewed did not have good memories or good recollection of such training sessions. It is

• • • •

probably more beneficial to be exposed to examples and follow case studies than to take part in formal learning.

Incubators are not an ill-suited choice for these populations, quite the contrary. However, the support provided to them in the introductory stages needs to be stepped up. It is one thing to recognise an idea or project as original, and quite another to let it go into execution without having tested its market-relevance or feasibility.

It is essential that the initiatives be monitored and networked, for it is often only after one or two projects that an activity, job or enterprise clearly emerges.

The members of the target groups are generally people with low mobility who remain at their starting point: the concept of local development should thus be anchored in their projects as firmly as possible from the start. They will find their anchor points and stabilisation, and contrary to their natural tendency, will open up new opportunities for development.

Lastly, it is important to recognise that the acclimation of target groups to the crafts and design sector, and inversely, is a positive sum game. The target groups will find their chance to legitimate the energies inside them and the crafts sector will be fed with new sources of creativity.

3. 5 Initiative transferability and main lessons It is a well-known fact that the transferability of any initiative depends on the ability to strike a balance between that which is transferable (the lessons that can be learned from the mechanisms set up within a given setting) and that which is not (the characteristics due to local circumstances). Regarding the lessons learned, the following points are worthy of note:

• •

•

• •

•

It is best to be neither too narrow nor too restrictive when initially designing the programmes, as the target populations are generally dealing with specific problems, which will need to be addressed on a case-by-case basis, in other words, very flexibly.

The concept of training should be understood as a set of positive experiences, probably quite removed from the stereotypical definition of initial training, given that many of the people interviewed did not have good memories or good recollection of such training sessions. It is probably more beneficial to be exposed to examples and follow case studies than to take part in formal learning.

Incubators are not an ill-suited choice for these populations, quite to the contrary. However, the support provided to them in the introductory stages needs to be stepped up. It is one thing to recognise an idea or project as original, and quite another to let it go into execution without having tested its market-relevance or feasibility.

It is essential that the initiatives be monitored and networked, for it is often only after one or two projects that an activity, job or enterprise clearly emerges.

The members of the target groups are generally people with low mobility who remain at their starting point: the concept of local development should thus be anchored in their projects as firmly as possible from the start. They will find their anchorage points and stabilisation, and contrary to their natural tendency, will open up new opportunities for development.

Lastly, it is important to recognise that the acclimation of target groups to the crafts and design sector, and inversely, is a positive sum game. The target groups will find their chance to legitimate the energies inside them and the crafts sector will be fed with new sources of creativity.

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4. PROMOTION OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP AMONG SPECIFIC

TARGET GROUPS SUCH AS YOUNG AND FEMALE

ENTREPRENEURS: GOOD PRACTICES

4.1. FEMALE AND YOUNG ENTREPRENEURSHIP ON THE ROUTES OF THE LEGACY OF AL-ANDALUS Good Practice Promoter: Public Foundation The Legacy of al-Andalus

Presentation The Andalusian Public Foundation The Legacy of al-Andalus is working nowadays to improve the entrepreneurship and self-employment on the Routes of The Legacy of al-Andalus regarding different kind of initiatives. The purpose is to establish different agreements with institutions and stakeholders to contribute to the social-economic development of the villages integrated in these Routes.

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In this frame, the Foundation has signed recently an agreement with CAESA-PA, an institution focused on the backing of the SMEs and self-employment to contribute to local and rural development, including crafts. This agreement, which has been focused on the Routes of the Caliphate, is aimed at the creation of jobs, especially among young people, women and other sectors with labor insertion problems in the tourism sector including hospitality, crafts, trade, etc.

The Route of Caliphate (Granada-Cordoba) links two of the towering works of the art and architecture of al-Andalus: the great Masque of Cordoba and the Alhambra palace in Granada. These two magnificent monuments, declared World Heritage sites, are a testament to the cultural splendour of Arab Spain. All along the route, visitors will discover the places where the Caliphate of Cordoba spread its influence, leaving in its wake fortresses, temples, great architecture, and a variety of arts and crafts. This route forms part of a series of itineraries exploring the heritage of al-Andalus.

With this objective, The Andalusian Public Foundation The Legacy of al-Andalus is going to improve training sessions aimed at improving the quality of employment and the fight against job insecurity.

These sessions will transmit direct lines of promotion of employment in the field of cultural and rural tourism (artisan) in Andalusia. They will be aimed at women entrepreneurs determined to work in this new field of employment such as cultural tourism.

In this frame, this Foundation brings the experience gained in the project European Network for the Improvement of Women’s Employment in the cultural tourism program Euroempleo. This project worked on examples of successful experiences and tools that have opened different ways to improve the conditions and competitiveness of women’s employment in the cultural tourism sector at European level, including the artisan, in rural areas.

Another focus of this project was to create synergies between employment-generating public institutions and representatives of associations of culture and tourism. In short, another objective was the joining of efforts towards the same direction to improve employment, gender equality andcompetitiveness in cultural tourism and crafts in rural areas.

These training sessions will include mainly the following content:

~ Accounting and finance advisory and advice on finding public aids. ~ Theoretical and practical information about resources for SME development, self-employment and employability of women in the field of cultural and rural tourism including crafts, restaurants, hotels, tourist guides and different kind of companies associated with this sector.

It is important to explain to crafts entrepreneurs how to create their own company – the legal and administrative basis - and how to make their businesses viable and profitable.

~ Days of exchange of good practices in companies of the sector in Andalusia and the Route of the Caliphate.

~ New professional experiences. ~ Programmes of experimental actions and impulse of self-employment in the cultural, rural and domestic tourism.

Evaluation and outlook It can seem very simple, but for people who often live in isolation and, in some cases, have lost their job, contact with others often serves as the catalyst for embarking on a proactive journey.

This project gave participants the chance to take stock of their situation and understand how changes in their environment could create new opportunities, rather than sentencing them to a life of inactivity. This, of course, is only the starting point and the value of such settings peters out very quickly if the individual does not put together a personal plan that will lead at least to jobs, or even to the construction of an entity, which then requires a personalised review and involvement in a plan.

Contacts Public Foundation The Legacy of Al-Andalus jsp@legadoandalusi.es legadoandalusi.es - alandalusylaciencia.es - rutaslegadoandalusi.es

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4.2. BOTTEGA SCUOLA Good Practice Promoter: ARTEX - Centre for the Artistic and Traditional Craft of Tuscany

48 Presentation The Bottega Scuola (Workshop School) is an artisan firm that performs the role of a veritable training agency accredited to the Regional System of Professional Training and whose educational curriculum can be financed by public resources and recognised by art. 17 of L.R.T 32/2002.

In order to become a Bottega Scuola, an artisan firm must by directed by a Maestro Artigiano, whose professionalism is officially recognised based on experience and competences.

The Bottega Scuola conducts training activities in the sector of artistic and traditional handicraft, passing down knowledge and crafts. The training curricula performed by the Bottega Scuola are directed to all those interested in training and/or specialising in artistic and traditional techniques and are committed to acquiring a professional title/qualification or a certification of competences.

Training new generations, transmitting the skills and know-how of ancient crafts, with the purpose of preserving them and to provide young people with new and important work opportunities: this is the objective of the Bottega Scuola.

The project Bottega Scuola aims at weakening the critical point and strengthening craft values:

~

Economic value: creation of new entrepreneurship and transferring the firm to the next generation of craftsmen. ~ Cultural value: safeguard sectors and production techniques at risk of extinction. ~ Social value: conservation of social stability, support to local economy and small-scale production.

Building an education system based on the figure of the Maestro Artigiano would:

~ Safeguard sectors and production techniques at risk of extinction. ~ Provide a first response to the problem of the generation renewal within the field of artistic handicraft.

~ Increase the knowledge of techniques and materials by young graduates with artistic and design degrees with the purpose of creating a renewed entrepreneurial spirit in the sector.

~ Train new entrepreneurs in a sector characterised by high added value that requires specific skills.

The educational model of the Bottega Scuola is based on a few elements deemed strategic that form the set of rules necessary for its success:

~ ~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

A targeted matching of Bottega Scuola with the student: the personalities of the Maestro and of the student must be “compatible”.

In order to facilitate the transmission of know-how, the experimental project envisions a specific training action geared towards the Maestri Artigiani, who will therefore be prepared to take the role of teachers and will be supported in their activity of learning facilitators for the entire length of the experimental curriculum.

The preliminary definition of the duration of the learning curriculum: (from 3 to 9 months, based on a timetable agreed upon by both the maestro and the student.)

The definition of the learning objectives and personal projects that will be put in place.

The student will sign a “Training Agreement” with the Bottega Scuola, stating the learning objectives to be achieved and the reciprocal commitments that student and master take on.

Performing specific training actions outside the Bottega Scuola, aimed at increasing the students’ competences on the managerial aspects of an independent business, such as: safety in the workplace, the creation of a firm, social media marketing.

The Bottega Scuola training model envisions a series of learning support services, like tutoring activities, orientation, counseling, mentoring, and an ongoing evaluation of the skills and know-how reached by the students.

At the end of the curriculum the students will acquire the final certification, title or competences certificate.

Evaluation and outlook The Bottega Scuola initiative, meanwhile, brought together 90 master craftsmen and connected 10 Botteghe Scuole with 100 students, making for a very high level of supervision, as needed to provide real training. The students had all completed their Bachelor in Heritage Conservation programmes and, thanks to the programme, were able to combine the academic recognition with a significant certificate of professional practice.

Contacts Artex Elisa Guidi e.guidi@artex.firenze.it www.artex.firenze.it

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4.3. CONTEMPORANEAMENTE Good Practice Promoter: Association Via Maggio

Presentation

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The Association Via Maggio was established in 2009 through the initiative of a spontaneous committee of citizens (antique stores owners, craftsmen, residents, institutional and educational realities) in order to contrast urban degradation, traffic and structural problems that were likely to cause serious damage to the cultural identity of this historic street, known around the world as the Street of the Antique Stores of Florence. The Association has implemented several projects aimed at promoting and enhancing the street and its neighbourhood. All the initiatives in this regard have been designed and developed through collaboration between many partners and in close association with the Florence municipal administration.

Via Maggio is not simply a street. It is the ancient Via Maggiore, the main street of the Medici run town.

It is the street of art “par excellence�. Long and narrow, flanked by Renaissance buildings that give it an aristocratic flavour, Via Maggio and the whole Oltrarno neighbourhood are rich in history, traditions and a unique and therefore precious cultural identity, that for the past centuries have been kept alive by Florentine families owning workshops and commercial activities related to the world of art and crafts that have been handed down from generation to generation. A heritage to be valued and protected, an open air museum to be safeguarded. Contemporanemente is one of the most significant projects of the Association Via Maggio. It’s a cultural and artistic event, founded by the Municipality of Florence, that mixes traditional Arts and Crafts with design and contemporary culture. The project has reached its third year and is aimed at promoting art, craft, design and contemporary culture from all over Florence in the framework of Via Maggio. Diverse venues and art and antiquity galleries present contemporary themes with a rich calendar of events, many of which open with a big party on the same day, with diverse initiatives (exhibitions, lectures, presentations, conferences, concerts) involving a very diverse public going from the art critic to the art lover, the ordinary citizen and the residents of the neighbourhood.

Evaluation and perspective Contemporanemente has involved in its initiative 30 galleries, 5 public institutions, 15 craftsmen/ businesses, 20 designers/artists and more than 30 associations, schools and private institutions. It is estimated that 10,000 participants have participated in activities of various events.

The achieved results included:

~ Increased awareness of the cultural value of handicrafts; ~ Increased economic revenues for enterprises; ~ Increased cooperation among subjects working, living and involved in the activity of Via Maggio.

The strength of this initiative is the cooperation among many different subjects (residents, merchants, artisans, institutions, educational establishments as well as private citizens), connected with the specific place of Via Maggio. This has guaranteed the sustainability of the project and the possibility to apply for public funding when available, or count on private funding in other editions. Moreover, the opening of the initiative to new contemporary art permitted the involvement of younger artists, an enlargement of the network and a large variety of art events and products.

Contacts Association Via Maggio Olivia Turchi olivia.turchi@libero.it viamaggio.blogspot.it

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4.4. ART PAUMA Good Practice Promoter: Chamber of Commerce of Barcelona

Presentation

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Art Pauma is an organisation in the Terres de l’Ebre area which works for the revival of the local cultural heritage of “Artesanía de la Pauma” (a local form of Palm Craftsmanship). Its constitution is the result of the Project for the Revival and Application of the Ethnological Heritage (Innopauma MAS) promoted by the Mas de Barberans Town Council to support innovative employment initiatives and to revitalise pauma craftsmanship as an element of cultural, local and territorial identity. The beginnings of Art Pauma date back to 2006 when a group of unemployed women of working age decided to start training in one of the best-established traditions in the region, a female-dominated profession that was in the process of disappearing: that of the llatadora (a type of palm braider).

Its stated aim is to revive a craft which has hitherto been orally transmitted, which suffered a breakdown in this transmission with the generation born in the 1950s.

This project has an important social character: the whole process of craftsmanship is performed by the llatadoras, women who are at clear risk of social exclusion, and now it is they who are supporting the maintenance of the project, the creation and sales of pauma products, craft demonstrations, workshops etc. Thanks to Art Pauma, this group of then-unemployed women were able to start their business and professional activity within the world of pauma craftsmanship as freelance entrepreneurs.

The Museo de la Artesanía de la Pauma (or Pauma Museum) is located in the town of Mas de Barberans (to the south of Tarragona) and is operated by the Town Council with the external collaboration of three artisans who have been trained in this discipline. Before this initiative, pauma craftsmanship was only practiced by women around 75 years of age, three of whom set up the Art Pauma organisation. Thus, Art Pauma works with the technical team at the Town Council on the development of projects such as the reproduction of handmade pauma pieces based on information gathered from oral history, cataloguing of hand-crafted pauma pieces, innovative projects using this craft to create pieces which are more appropriate to current uses, documentation room and media library specialising in women’s work in rural areas and in work undertaken with plant fibres, etc.

Promotional and awareness-raising projects for this heritage are coordinated, as well as the training and transmission of pauma craftsmanship to younger generations (middle-aged and children). The Town Council has also conducted research projects, international thematic meetings of Mediterranean artisans with expertise in working with plant fibres, etc. Similarly, an annual trade fair is held in collaboration with the cistellers (or basket-weavers).

Evaluation and outlook Activities for promotion and dissemination of the project:

~ Collection of 46 pauma pieces collected in an Art Pauma product catalogue. A benchmark ~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

collection is needed to preserve a heritage that is both tangible and intangible, since for some pieces we only have oral recollections.

New Designs: while respecting the production process for pauma work in Mas de Barberans, it has been necessary to design and create new pieces for new uses and social needs. It is the creativity and inspiration of new artisans trained in the courses which has informed the newly created pieces.

Exhibition and sale of pauma products at the Empremtes de Catalunya store at the Craft Centre of Catalonia at the Trade, Crafts and Fashion Consortium.

Consolidation of the Artisans’ Corner, the Trade Fair for Plant Fibre Handicrafts, Other Artisans and Food has been listed by the Government of Catalonia as one of its specific trade fairs.

Courses and Workshops held at the Pauma Museum.

Preparation of the Local Plan for Equal Opportunities for women in the village.

Pairing of Tourism and Crafts Participation in the Oficis Singulars project promoted by Artesanía de Catalunya.

Creation of the Plant Fibre Corner: Process of internationalisation such as the seventh Edition of the International Plant Fibre Contest.

Participation by Art Pauma in the symposium “Intangible Cultural Heritage and Sustainable Development” organised by the UNESCO Centre of Catalonia Different articles in specialist journals: RIDEC, Revista de etnología de Cataluña, El pajar, Revista de Etnografía canaria etc.

Contacts Pepa Subirats Rosiñol Art Pauma Project Coordinator and manager of the Pauma Museum Artpauma@hotmail.com

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4.5. REGION FEMME Good Practice Promoter: Slovak Chamber of Commerce and Industry

Presentation

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The project idea was created on the basis of the long years of cooperation among the chambers and the Association of Women in Business (ZZVP). It also considered the need for cross-border cooperation, support of entrepreneurship and support of export possibilities, with the emphasis on women's entrepreneurship in the border countries (Slovakia and Austria).

After the accession of Slovakia into the EU, Slovak and Austrian companies have shown an intensive interest in common networking and cooperation. There is the natural interest from the side of bordering countries to extend their business activities and cooperation between each other, to offer services and goods abroad and to get new customers also from abroad. Both countries, Slovakia and Austria, consider the promotion of entrepreneurship and cross-border cooperation a very important topic. Moreover, small and medium enterprises are the core businesses in the economies. For starting and running a business the question of education, getting information, support of entrepreneurship is fundamental. The project ran from February 2009 until January 2013.

Large companies and SMEs are interested in offering their products and services not only in their domestic country but also abroad. They are also very interested in looking for and getting information oriented on business start-up, environment and support. They are eager to find out how to enter the neighbourhood country, how to establish a branch office or a private company abroad; they are looking for convenient partners and cooperation. The project REGIONFEMME offered a helping hand for entrepreneurs, mostly women from Bratislava and Trnava Region in Slovakia and Vienna and Lower Austria Region. A large scale of educational and networking activities was developed in the project. For example: seminars oriented on business environment in Austria and in Slovakia and also soft-skills seminars. Other very valuable activities were: visits of experienced companies, business to business meetings, consultancies for women who aimed to set up or extend their activity abroad.

All these activities were oriented on internationalisation, cooperation, exchange of information and starting their own business abroad. Other project activities included academies for start-ups and experienced women, German language courses, project magazine and common webpage with database of women, project´s facebook profile.

Furthermore, by these activities the cooperation between both countries has been strengthened, and participants gained new contacts and cooperation. They also got new information, motivation, know-how and change of experience which definitely helped them to start their jobs, to learn from others and to avoid principal mistakes.

Networking activities:

~

Meetings of Slovak and Austrian entrepreneurs: The aim: new contacts, new cooperation, exporting activities - bringing of business women from both countries together, discussions and consultations. The added value of these events is: getting new information, new contacts, meeting of women, discussions, exchange of information, motivation and cooperation. ~ Company visits: Visits of experienced entrepreneurs with the aim of sharing information about their business origins, discussion about the problems and legislation in both countries, recommendations, integration of private and family life. ~ Consultancies for Slovak women entrepreneurs who want to start their business or expand their business to Austria and vice versa. ~ Language courses ~ Webpage: Overview of actual and realised activities, pictures, comments. ~ Facebook: Overview of actual and realised activities, pictures, comments. ~ Academy for Starts-ups - offered series of courses with the purpose of helping people to start their business.

Activities of women: mostly services, but also production in various crafts sectors. For example: dressmaking, sewing, patchwork, production of jewellery, production of bracelets, production of diaper cakes, sewing of curtains, etc.

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Evaluation and outlook Region femme puts forward interesting findings in terms of both activity and results.

In terms of activity there were more than 900 participants in the seminars, 140 requests for advisory services, and 50 participants in the academies (similar to training sessions), more than half of whom went on to actually create their own jobs. In terms of results, 66% of those who made contact with the programme became committed to a project, 16% created their own jobs, thus entering selfemployment, and 18% created an enterprise.

Contacts Mrs. Ivana Kondasova Bratislava regional Chamber of SCCI ivana.kondasova@sopk.sk

4.6. CRAFTED Good Practice Promoter: Design & Crafts Council of Ireland

Presentation

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The CRAFTed programme implemented by the Design & Crafts Council of Ireland’s (DCCoI) gives primary school children and teachers an exciting opportunity to explore their creativity and learn new skills by working with professional craftspeople. The DCCoI recognises the critical role that education plays in the future growth of craft and in the preservation of our cultural heritage in Ireland. A commitment to education and training is central to DCCoI’s Strategic Plan, as outlined in its role “to foster and encourage careers in Craft”.

• CRAFTed: Learning Skills for Life Primary Schools Programme provides children with craft specific education and educational training opportunities for professional craftspeople. It offers schoolteachers training and support while opening up a world of creative possibilities to primary school children. It develops good collaborative practice between craft-makers and teachers. It focuses on how development of craft skills can support integrated learning methodologies, with an emphasis on developing numeracy and literacy skills in the children working on craft projects.

Based on the DCCoI’s previous ‘Craft in the Classroom’ pilot programme, CRAFTed was first delivered in 2010 - 2011 in partnership with 6 Education Centres’. Success led to its expansion into a nationwide programme, with partnerships agreed with full time Education Centres in the delivery of Crafted all around Ireland.

The main aims of CRAFTed are:

~ To raise specific awareness of ‘craft’ among primary school children, providing positive hands-on making experiences, through creative project work with specialist craft-maker inputs.

~ To begin to develop some basic craft skills in young children, which will give them increased artistic confidence and an interest in gaining further craft-related experiences.

~ To capture the imagination of young people, encouraging them to learn more about craft in Ireland, and to give them a pathway into choosing craft as a future career path.

Cultural and artistic Objectives of the CRAFTed programme:

~ To offer opportunities for craftspeople to work in primary schools and gain valuable teaching experience, which may lead to further employment prospects within education. ~ To support schoolteachers in the specific delivery of practical skills related to the primary level visual arts curriculum. ~ To assist teachers and craftspeople on development of craft related curriculum ideas, with lesson plans that focus on children gaining practical skills by creatively making objects. ~ To facilitate opportunities for collaboration which has teachers in schools linking with external craft specialists and results in children gaining maximum benefit from ‘paired teaching’. ~ To promote integrated learning of multiple subject areas with a specific emphasis on numeracy and literacy skills. ~ To raise awareness of ‘craft’ to parents and the wider schools community, giving an insight into the potential benefits of craft skills for children and creating an interest in craft in Ireland

Evaluation and outlook The Crafted Initiative, which has a special place in this environment, is currently ramping up: ultimately, the projects will involve 284 schools (7,240 schoolchildren) and 98 craftsmen, in addition to the teachers who will of course be closely involved in the process, from start to finish.

Contacts Design & Crafts Council of Ireland Polly Minett National Coordinator of CRAFTed 2014 www.dccoi.ie

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4.7. UNION DES COUVEUSES Good Practice Promoter: Union des couveuses

Presentation Created in 2002, the Union des couveuses brings together associations and cooperative organisations supported by local partners. The Union des couveuses is a place of innovation and research: providing services for people and developing industry networks.

The Union des couveuses aims at helping men and women make a fair living from their activity, creating value and thereby contributing to establishing a long-lasting future.

The national network of business incubators is committed to:

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~

Helping project carriers to become autonomous and take on responsibility

~

Strong values, namely solidarity, diversity and the environment

~

International development through the coordination of a European network of business incubators (Enise): www.observatoire-enise.eu

As of today, the union of business incubators has 60 members in 221 premises.

Since 2012, union of business incubator is a partner on French art and craft national institute with the aim to promote and support art and craft entrepreneurship. Seven incubators are experts or specialised about creative professionals.

Evaluation and outlook One important initial finding is that the output of Union des couveuses is 52% of venture creation and 21% of return to employment, which means too that 73% of the beneficiaries return to work.

Moreover 65% of entrepreneurs in training are women, which is considerably different from all others non-tailored business creation support structures that support always around 30% to 40% women. In addition, while average turnover per project tested amounted to â‚Ź3,780.88, that of male participants was 31% higher than that of female participants.

The data collected also reflect the types of projects launched, by type of beneficiary. In the crafts sector, the percentage of projects conducted by women is 80%, remarkably balancing out the situation when compared with the 25% of farming activity and 38% of industrial activity for which women are responsible.

Contacts Union Des Couveuses Victor Richard contact@observatoire-enise.eu www.uniondescouveuses.eu

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5. CONCLUSIONS

StĂŠphanie Gille

Antoine Videau

Alexandre Bertault

5.

CONCLUSIONS

Stéphanie Gille - National Institute of Arts and Crafts Antoine Videau and Alexandre Bertault - Reims City Council

Based on the final report of Xavier Greffe, Professor at the University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne

The crafts sector is wrought with constant tension between competition and cooperation. Competition because the craftspeople receive the profits and bear the costs related to their products, making them sensitive to competition from other objects and thus from other craftspeople. Cooperation because their size and sometimes their know-how incite them to share some costs or some resources with others.

Discussions and presentations we have had under the third theme of the project showed that the network format makes it possible to take into account both of these contradictory dimensions.

Networks for Activity Creation Networking proves its relevance as soon as the enterprise is formed. Crafts sector activity can indeed require craftspeople to cooperate in order to sustain the originality and quality of their products.

Thanks to their combined powers, several craftspeople can reach real markets that guarantee their sustainability. It thus appears as a solution to continue to sustain an activity at local level, like the one initiated by the Chamber of Commerce of Barcelona: Teixidors de Terrassa.

Networks as Consolidators The network format is also valuable as it consolidates and enables innovation for existing companies, which need advice and support for the various aspects of their business: setting prices, selecting products, redeploying their activities on the Internet, etc.

Generally, networks extend beyond the range of business incubators or accelerators, for one very simple reason: the services which craftspeople need are becoming more and more sophisticated with time. Yet access to these specialised services cannot, by definition, be organized everywhere, and do rely upon the existence of networks. This applies all the more in rural or low-density population areas. As an example, the Taito Business Services initiative developed by the Aalto University School of Design makes it possible for lone craftspeople to access this concentration of resources.

Networks as a Means of Entering the International Market The value of networks becomes clear when one looks at them in connection with access to international markets: • In order to successfully enter new, high-risk markets, in terms of the costs involved, specialised skills are a must.

• The size of crafts sector activities, however, does not allow them to bear such costs – only, at best, to share them.

• These markets cannot be understood once and for all; knowledge must be enriched

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•

and updated constantly, through market intelligence activities and, where applicable, through after-sales services.

Too often, being in an international market depends on one single buyer, who demands of the craftspeople conditions which they can hardly fulfil, either in terms of volume required or fair remuneration.

On the ground, there are two opposite ways to deal with these issues.

On the one side, every effort is made to facilitate mobility for craftspeople to trade fairs or exhibitions, so that they can show their products and gain new customers. A good illustration of this tradition is offered by the International Fair Fund Enterprise, initiated by the Design & Crafts Council of Ireland.

On the opposite side, the aim is to organise an ongoing crafts sector product exhibition system within a given territory abroad, thus changing the project’s scale, in terms of people, objects and time periods. Tuscan Home, initiated by the Agency for commerce and industry of Tuscany is an excellent illustration of this.

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Between these two formats, participating in networks to internationalize its activities is a driver for opening up new markets and ensuring the long-term future of crafts sector companies. However, such strategies also carry risks, as penetrating international markets requires adapting to the global market, which may consequently turn against the creativity of craftspeople.

To prevent craftspeople from compromising denaturing their own production, the City Council of Riga took action and warded off the risk. Its programme preserves local garment traditions not by removing technology from the production process, but by ensuring that specific values are upheld in the design process.

The Solidarity-Based Economy as a Means of Networking Presented by the Municipality of Florence and Artex, the International Charter of Artistic Craftsmanship sets out a number of principles that help companies and networks to support the economic and social sustainability of craftspeople. It creates a large-scale network through which craftspeople can emerge as a collective entity, promoting core values for sustainable development.

The fourth and last theme of the INNOCRAFTS project focused on the promotion of entrepreneurship among target groups, such as women and young people. It has indeed become a major objective of the craftsmanship sector, but also of those striving to strengthen its creativity and long-term future.

Specific groups can bring originality and thus specific creative potential that can be extremely beneficial in developing new products or services.

Identifying the Target Groups With women, very different profiles were targeted in the initiatives that have been presented. For instance, the Legacy al Andalus project addresses both women who have lost their traditional work in the farming sector and qualified women seeking work. The Art Pauma Initiative, sponsored by the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce is aimed at women who, often, have already worked for a relatively lengthy amount of time in the rural environment, but have lost their jobs due to the closing of certain markets. The Region Femme project, that targets women entrepreneurs, deserves to be showcased all the more as it concurrently addresses two contiguous regions, in Slovakia and Austria.

As to initiatives in favour of young people, they are numerous and are often designed with the initial

purpose of encouraging resumption and completion of training.

Identifying the Challenges Creating one’s own job is clearly the most daunting challenge, whether it implies creating a single job for oneself, or creating an enterprise whose size has not been determined at the start. The social integration dimension can sometimes prevail over entrepreneurship itself. This can be seen in the case of Art Pauma, or The Legacy Al Andalus: the aim is first to restore the target populations’ ability to earn a living through their work.

Both considered target groups seem to be aware of all the challenges they need to cope with while creating one’s own company. The problem here lies in determining how the balance between projectbased support and individual independence should shift over time. This brings back to the fore the traditional debate about incubators, such as presented by the Union des couveuses.

Developing sources of creativity that are different from those predominant on the crafts market is challenging. If the involvement of women or young people in the crafts sector does not allow for overcoming this challenge as a whole, it irrigates at least the crafts sector with new references, observations and solutions. This can be very clearly seen in the production of everyday objects, whether textile or material objects. In the El Andalus initiative, examples were cited showing how people managed to change their reference points by confronting them with other, unfamiliar, references.

Attracting workers to deserted or sometimes even extinct professions is another aim sought by the programmes. The objective can be to reinvent neglected professions for which potential demand still exists, and niche areas of the globalised world can generate new markets. This was the case with hand-weaving or basket-weaving for instance, both of which were on prominent display during the Burgas and Riga presentations. The idea can also be to attract individuals to professions and activities that did exist and for which markets were available, but which were not able to find the human resources they needed.

Last but not least, as illustrated by the CRAFTed initiative, restoring self-confidence in individuals remains a general concern in all of the objectives already cited, and a key factor of success.

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DISCLAIMER Neither the European Commission nor any person acting on behalf of the European Commission is responsible for the use which might be made of the information contained in this publication. Any information given does not necessarily reflect the official position of the European Commission. In this regard, it should be made noted that the information provided is considered to be of a preliminary nature and users should contact the competent authorities and other public or private organisations for the more detailed information or for advice on particular courses of action.

CREDITS This publication is a result of collaborative work of INNOCRAFTS project staff Edited by Municipality of Florence and INNOCRAFTS partners Photos and graphic elaboration by ANCI Tuscany Visual design Marcello Bucci, Osman Bucci, Sandro Bartoletti October 2014