CROSSOVER CRAFTS – artisans without borders (KO528)
Funded by Kolarctic ENPI 2007-2013

Objective of the project

To develop creative arenas for living handicraft traditions so that past knowledge re-enters the community and helps individuals in the communities build identity and prosperity. To recover, preserve, transfer and document traditional handicraft skills, thereby ensuring a viable future for practice-led knowledge and traditions.

Main activities

The project begun mapping and researching. The project found out and listed craftsmen / -women on the region, traditional handicraft skills including ones at the region’s museums and the museums’ needs for traditional knowledge of handicraft. After recruiting matching participants from the region, the project made plans for exchange weeks, workshops, demonstrations, local projects exhibitions and information activities in each region. Craftsmen/women and museum employees from all three countries were introduced to duodji -traditional Sámi craft. The whole market and the exhibitions were studied. Craftsmen/women were also matched with other craftsmen/ women and demonstrated their craft at Jokkmokk winter market. Workshops have been held in various topics: design, woodcraft and handicraft of various types: - preparing fish skin - forging axes - log building - birch binding - dry wall building - building conservation - tablet weaving - fell making - fell printing - folk costumes and costume history - needlebinding - boats and boatbuilding Local projects have been arranged around construction traditions: this involves reconstruction of a traditional Sámi building and restauration of a tresh barn. Exhibition with written information is one visible part of the project, these have been arranged e.g. in the participating museums and travelling exhibitions. Craftsmen/women, children and youth have taken part in summer activities at the open air museums. The project has produced material such as catalogues and other written information; e.g. a catalogue of 300 wooden carved artifacts from the museum magazines of Arkhangelsk region. Parts of the work has been documented on film and in the internet. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H18_IGHCrPQ in Youtube is about the Sámi cottage construction. One blog is written to document the work around the tresh barn restauration: https://crossovercrafts.wordpress.com/

Achievements

Much of what we made in earlier times is of better quality than today’s designs. Among the wide audiences, interest in traditional handicraft is alive and growing. In order to allow previous knowledge to find its way into society once again we therefore need creative meeting places. The project Crossover Crafts has arranged and created numerous creative venues for traditional live handicrafts - from textiles to building technology. The project has recreated, maintained, communicated and documented traditional craftsmanship. Is has worked towards a broad audience, and let museums and historical cultural festivals serve as a centre for the development of traditional methods and techniques.