Lina Mendoni for Greek crafts: Its revival is a priority of the Greek Ministry of Culture. Culture is a priority of the Culture Department

The event is being organized on the initiative of Ministry of Culture, in cooperation with the University of West Attica, the University of Western Macedonia and the University of Thessaly, from 16 to 18 April, at the Acropole Palace.

The work will focus on the sustainable development of the sector, the strengthening of competitiveness, as well as the utilization of crafts as a pillar of cultural creation and economic activity.

The conference is part of the Ministry of Culture’s Strategic Programme for the Revival of Greek Handicrafts, entitled “Educational Programme for the Development of Skills Related to Handicrafts”, which created 19 handicraft structures across the country with resources from the Recovery Fund.

“The revival of Greek handicrafts is a strategic political priority of the Ministry of Culture, starting in 2019. It is not only about the preservation of intangible cultural heritage, a capital of inestimable value, but also about its transformation into a modern development model, fuelled by traditional practices to become a springboard for growth, employment and revitalization of the Greek region. The revival of Greek handicrafts has enormous potential, which is only just emerging. It concerns the preservation and transmission to younger generations of an enormous cultural capital, which is contained in age-old practices that technological progress and newer techniques are threatening to make extinct. Handicraft has been, for centuries, a way of survival and aesthetic expression,” Minister of Culture Lina Mendoni stressed, while declaring the opening of the conference yesterday, adding:

“Our goal today is to create a sustainable model of development and business support for the sector, a new generation of artisans with professional training, certification, business support, international networking and empowerment of similar small businesses. In this context, and with the financial opportunity provided by the Recovery Fund, the Ministry of Culture has promoted pilot projects for the weaving, ceramics and woodworking sectors, which are being completed. We have proceeded with the conclusion of programmatic contracts for cultural development with the Universities of West Attica, West Macedonia and Thessaly for pilot educational programmes, of a total duration of four semesters, under the supervision of the Lifelong Learning Centres of the collaborating universities. The programmes had a total duration of 260 hours and concerned the three above mentioned branches of handicraft, in 19 training structures that we created around Greece, in regions with a corresponding handicraft tradition. At the same time, we focused on the study of the value chains of the three traditional raw materials, wool, wood and clay, whose use dates back for millennia. The training programme is coming to an end but is already being evaluated and next steps are being taken to continue it. It is our desire that the programme should continue, as it concerns the core of the revival of Greek handicraft, so that the current trainees can take the next step, securing employment in related fields or, even better, opening their own business.”

Yesterday, the first day of the conference concluded with the opening by the Minister of Culture of the Group Exhibition of Graduates from the 19 Handicraft Training Structures. 208 graduates participated with works of weaving, ceramics and woodwork created during the educational programmes (November 2024 – December 2025) implemented by the Lifelong Learning Centres of the three Universities.

The conference continues for two more days, during which topics such as: mapping and analysis of raw material value chains in crafts, good practices and international experiences, multiple dimensions of crafts, museums, collections and crafts, models of entrepreneurship, challenges and perspectives for the sustainability of the sector will be presented and discussed.