Traditional arts and crafts along the Kurshi coastline have experienced a revival in recent years, partly as a result of European funds. The project Craft on the Baltic Coast set out to promote entrepreneurship and tourism in the region by drawing on the wealth of skills among local artists and craftspeople. During the project, some 20 000 people attended art and craft fairs and exhibitions, while more than 100 artists and craftspeople benefited from training sessions which included business and marketing.
- 16 January 2010
By creating new tourism destinations and events related to traditional Couronian craftsmanship, notably at the North Kurzeme Crafts Centre in Ventspils and the Arts and Crafts Square in Klaipeda, public interest in traditional Couronian art and culture has increased, ensuring that knowledge and skills will be passed on to the next generation.
With mass manufacturing of technologies on the rise, the craft industry in Latvia and Lithuania had been struggling to compete. However, local craftspeople and artists were still eager to use the talent, work methods, traditions and knowledge inherited from their ancestors and to pass these on. The project saw the Northern Kurzeme Craft Centre (Ventspils) and Klaipeda Arts and Craft Quarter reconstructed for this purpose and also for boosting employment and tourist numbers in the region.
Passing the baton
Four key partners were involved in this project: Ventspils City Council (LV), Ventspils Craftsmen Union (LV), Klaipėda City Municipality (LT) and Klaipėda Culture Communication Centre (LT). Efforts focused on ensuring that skills acquired by locals over several generations would continue being passed on. Training sessions were organised in Ventspils and Klaipeda and covered entrepreneurship, cultural preservation, craft history, art and design. Participants had the opportunity to join study visits and take part in workshops in an effort to boost competitiveness and promote local products in the market.
The word is out
The project benefited some 582 craftspeople and artists, with an estimated total of 100 000 people informed about the project. This included the production of two video films (one for Latvia, one for Lithuania) with 150 copies distributed, and the purchase of 15 information stands for use at exhibitions. Press conferences were also organised and complemented by articles published in local, regional and national newspapers, alongside reports and promotional posters. Ten travelling exhibitions were held in Ventspils and Klaipeda and included craft displays, exhibitions, competitions, fairs and thematic days.
A new lease of life
The impacts of the project set the scene for a healthy future. The industry has seen an increase in the level of employment in the Kurzeme and Klaipeda regions, a rise in the level of their income, less of an income gap among craftsmen and applied artists, greater tourism activities, preserved traditional Kurshi art, and wide-scale economic development in the two regions.