On the 17th of October 2024 world celebrated the first International Day of Intangible Cultural Heritage, marking a significant milestone in recognising the value of living traditions. This celebration follows the decision made during the UNESCO’s General Conference in November 2023, proclaiming this day to raise awareness about the importance of preserving intangible cultural heritage.
Across Europe and beyond, States Parties and stakeholders of the 2003 Convention are organising events throughout September, October, and November, showcasing the diversity and richness of living heritage.
In line with the spirit of this celebration, this newsletter highlights the actions, events, and crafts professionals dedicated to preserving, enhancing, and transmitting traditional knowledge and skills.
The Salon International du Patrimoine Culturel is a vital event for promoting and preserving cultural heritage, in particular intangible cultural heritage. It unites artisans and heritage professionals, providing a place for sharing and connecting. By highlighting traditional crafts and practices, the Salon raises awareness about the importance of intangible cultural heritage and fosters collaboration among stakeholders to ensure the transmission of these valuable traditions to the next generations.
The Salon du Patrimoine marked the official launch of CRAFTOUR, coordinated by Mad’in Europe as part of the Craeft project consortium. For the first time, six EU-funded projects, involving 75 organizations across 21 countries, joined forces to revitalize the crafts sector.
The conference posed a critical question:
How can EU funding effectively drive this revival?
Watch the Conference highlights
Looking forward to 2025, CRAFTOUR’s next major goal is a policy roundtable with EU representatives to advance actionable strategies for the crafts sector.
Meet the CRAFTOUR Initiative and the six projects
Want to stay up to date with the CRAFTOUR Initiative?
ARTEMISIA FORMATION
Stands out for its significant contribution to preserving traditional crafts. Through immersive workshops and qualifying programs in decorative painting and stage design, ARTEMISIA plays a pivotal role in ensuring that essential skills and knowledge are passed down to new generations of artisans.
Watch the Interview with Guillaume de Remusat from ARTEMISIA FORMATION
After training with master stove makers, Damien Spatara developed a passion for restoring antique ceramic stoves and showcased his work taking care to demonstrate how traditional techniques are used to carefully restore these stoves. Visitors are welcome to discover his private collection of antique ceramic stoves and miniature stoves in his workshop.
Watch the Interview with Damien Spatara at the Salon
VICTOR MANGEOL
Born into a family of musicians, Victor Mangeol developed a passion for music that led him to become an organ builder after studying at the Apprenticeship Training Center in Eschau.
Discover more about : Organbuilding Vocational Education Centre – CFFO Eschau
Our team had the chance to speak with him and learn more about his expertise and vision for the future of organ-making.
ATELIER DE RICOU
L’Atelier de Ricou, is dedicated to preserving cultural heritage through the restoration of painted decor and sculptures. With a skilled team of around forty specialists, they master traditional techniques like frescoes and gilding. The workshop is recognised with the EPV label and part of the “Par Excellence NY”, a collective of French talents based in New York.
Watch the Interview with Garance de Ricou and Arrmelle Le Gendre from ATELIER DE RICOU
The Rotthier Prize, also known as the European Prize of Architecture Philippe Rotthier, recognises architectural works of collective and cultural significance. These projects are deeply connected to their region, employ sustainable natural materials, and reflect the ingenuity of European cities through a dialogue with history and the past.
Mad’in Europe attended the CHARTER Cultural Heritage Skills Strategy Conference, reinforcing its commitment to advancing heritage sector skills. Recognising that preserving skills is essential for a sustainable future, the event highlighted future challenges and the need for a resilient workforce as CHARTER concludes in December 2024.
Study on the Situation of Craft Professions involved in the Safeguard of Built Heritage
Explore the vital role and current state of art of the craft professions involved in safeguarding Europe’s built heritage. Mad’in Europe and Future for Religious Heritage (FRH) present a study report highlighting the challenges in education, certification, and skill transmission in this field. Discover insights from craft professionals, heritage experts, historic house owners, curators and educators working to preserve these essential skills.
