In Centre for Sustainable Rural Development – CTRP Maribor, we decided to participate in the project Adult education staff mobility (KA104), within the Erasmus + programme, action KA1: Learning Mobility of Individuals with project EDUCATION FOR SETTING UP A CENTRE OF AMATEUR HANDCRAFTERS IN THE COUNTRYSIDE
We applied to the call because we wanted to add new experience in international projects to our objectives and vision. We are aware of the importance of flexibility and of following new working trends, which will not only be locally, but also international.
With our project EDUCATION FOR SETTING UP A CENTRE OF AMATEUR HANDCRAFTERS IN THE COUNTRYSIDE we are trying to solve the problem of losing handicraft knowledge, so the centre will be addressing the problem of disappearing of traditional handcrafts and other forms of cultural heritage but it also has a potential to help with the development of experience- based tourism in the countryside. We see a great potential for the centre to add to the efforts for sustainable development in the field of cultural heritage and tourism in the countryside as well as for inclusion of vulnerable target groups thus combating the effects of social exclusion and poverty. We will include even more craftsmen in the centre, conduct workshops, exhibitions, meetings, organize fairs and product exhibition. We would also include the elderly and enable the transfer of handicraft knowledge to the younger generations, which is currently lacking.
As part of the project, we will develop a business model to increase the stability of the social enterprise in order to preserve jobs and create conditions for creating new ones by including vulnerable target groups, with whom we already work to preserve cultural heritage and develop adventure tourism in rural areas. There is a strong demand for handicraft products and skills transfer, but on the other hand there are many unemployed craftsmans on the labour market.
In line with the purpose and mission of CTRP Maribor, we plan to establish a centre for amateur handcrafters, which will contribute to the active involvement of older people in the transfer of skills to other participants, to create new jobs, to the increase and creation of new activities (tourist attraction, product exhibition), networking with other educational institutions and the city authorities.
The handicraft centre will be established to revive and promote traditional crafts and other forms of cultural heritage. Our centre will cooperate with similar organizations in neighboring countries, so international cooperation is an important part of our future goals.
Employees participating in the project will take part in two activities, the first one Job Shadowing will take place in Italy on the topic of mentorship and working with young amateur handcrafters and vulnerable target groups, the secont one will be structured courses or training events in Spain on the topics of popularisation of handcrafts and cultural heritage, soft skills of communication, conflict resolution, critical observation, cultural heritage and integration of vulnerable target groups into working environment
These activities will give us a practical insight into the work, organisation, communication methods with target groups, the public, approaches to popularisation and other practical aspects of similar centres. The activities will also prepare us for international cooperation by strengthening our language and terminology competences, learning the rules of international communication and cooperation, and acquiring new partner contacts.
The mobility project will make CTRP Maribor more recognizable, both locally and internationally. We will maintain contacts with the host country to build on cross-border cooperation with similar institutions in the field of adult education, and thus successfully contribute to the preservation of cultural heritage.