On 9 October 2023, from 2PM to 6PM, at Officina Creativa in Florence Artex organised the first workshop of the Horizon Europe project Traks4Crafts.

The project, which started in March 2O23, is led by the University of Antwerp and consists of a partnership of 15 organisations from all over Europe. The mission of the project is to examine and actualize the transmission of Traditional Crafts Knowledge (TCK) in order to re-evaluate the social and economic perception of European artistic handicrafts as a sector with a (high) impact on territories, and to stimulate a heritage-oriented approach in Europe.

The meeting was intended as an initial opportunity to exchange ideas and brainstorm with local players and stakeholders who can contribute their perspectives to the identification of needs and expectations, opportunities and challenges of the ceramic craftsmanship ecosystem. The aim of the workshop was to define the starting scenario in which the Tracks4Crafts project will be developed with reference to the Italian pilot case related to ceramics, and how it will interact with the wider craftsmanship ecosystem.

During the workshop, the ceramic handicraft ecosystem was investigated in terms of:

1. needs
2. expectations
3. opportunity
4. challenges
5. The broader “ecosystem” in which this sector operates.

Identifying this scenario now will help lay a solid foundation for the way forward in the coming years.