WCC Europe: ‘Craft and Tourism’ Conference

Programme 

Friday 27 November 2020 

  Craft and Tourism Conference 

11:00-13:00 Central European Standard Time / (GMT+1) 

The board of WCC Europe invites its members, guests and the public to attend our online conference. The conference will feature guest speakers who will each focus on the topic ‘Craft and Tourism’, and their responses in light of COVID-19. The conference also features the WCC Craft Cities programme, which actively seeks to grow awareness of the contribution of local authorities, craftspeople and communities to cultural, economic and social development. 

Spaces are limited, so please register in advance HERE.

11:00 – 11:10 

Introductions – Elisa Guidi, WCC Europe President

11:10 – 11:30 

Greg Richards, Tilburg University 

The development of the experience economy has driven consumers increasingly far afield in search of engaging, meaningful and instagrammable experiences. Culture has been enlisted as a field of content production for tourism, which in turn provides economic support for culture. Craft tourism has become important in this meeting of culture and tourism, not only as a source of distinctive souvenirs, but as field in which makers and tourists can express and exchange their creativity. This presentation considers the shift from more passive forms of cultural tourism to more active modes of creative tourism, and the implications of this for the craft field.  

11:35 – 11:55 

Farnham, UK ‘WCC Europe Craft Town’

 WCC Europe’s most recently accredited Craft Town is Farnham, UK. 

Farnham’s reputation for craft has made it an attractive and distinctive tourist destination with an appealing blend of craft heritage; high quality contemporary craft for sale; regular craft festivals and pop up events; a month of celebration and activity each October; and a creative buzz. The town has also proved a magnet for a diverse mix of makers from around the world which helps enrich the day to day and make Farnham a great place to live. The opportunities to see, buy and make your own work all create a special sense of place – as well as helping to drive the local economy. 

12:00  – 12:20  

Kilkenny, Ireland: ‘Application to become the next Craft City’. 

Kilkenny had a wide variety of traditional craft skills on which to base its current contemporary craft economy which was also heavily influenced by the establishment of Kilkenny Design Workshops (KDW) in the early 1960s. Kilkenny City and County are home to over 50 professional art, craft and design studios and workshops as well as small craft industries and a large number of part-time arts and crafts people. Kilkenny will present on their application to become the next WCC Craft City, and give an insight into how this title will help potentially boost the craft tourism economy. 

12:25 – 12:45 

Loulé Criativo Turismo Network 
 Speakers: Dália Paulo and Marília Lúcio, Municipality of Loulé 

‘Loulé Criativo’ is an initiative aimed at enhancing and promoting the identity of this Algarve municipality. The driving forces behind the initiative are creativity and innovation. The project supports the training and activity of artisans and other people working in the creative sector, helping to revitalise the traditional arts and crafts and dynamise new approaches to the areas intangible heritage. 

There are three main axes of action: Creative Tourism; safeguarding and developing Traditional Handicrafts with a network of Workshops; and a Design Lab, dedicated to innovation and incubation of local design projects. 

12:45– 13:00 

Q & A