Recovering the traditions of craftmanship across North Macedonia, such as sewing, embroidery, wood carving, watchmaking, repairing shoes, pottery and more. Most of these artisan crafts skills are dying and fewer and fewer people decide to continue the tradition of making these kinds of products. The project aims to spark an interest in young people to continue the traditional ways of crafting, which might help them in finding a part of themselves in it and even potential career orientation.
Local
North Macedonia
The project is mainly focused on the Eastern region of North Macedonia: Municipality of Shtip, Karbinci, Zrnovci, Ceshinovo-Obleshevo, Probishtip, Kočani, Makedonska Kamenica, Delčevo, Pehčevo, Vinica and Berovo.
Mainly rural
It refers to other types of transformations (soft investment)
Yes
Call 2019, Round 3, European Solidarity Corps - Solidarity Projects
No
Yes
As a representative of an organisation
Name of the organisation(s): GRIT Type of organisation: Non-profit organisation First name of representative: Martina Last name of representative: Jachevska Gender: Female Nationality: orth Macedonia If relevant, please select your other nationality: orth Macedonia Function: Founder and President Address (country of permanent residence for individuals or address of the organisation)<br/>Street and number: ul. Nada Mihajlova br.34 Town: Probishtip Postal code: 2210 Country: North Macedonia Direct Tel:+389 70 911 366 E-mail:ngo.grit@gmail.com Website:https://www.facebook.com/gritPs
In the past, the Eastern region of North Macedonia had around forty different types of craftsmanship connected with sewing, making saddles, repairing shoes, pottery making and many more. In reality, there are only five or six people working in this sector. Most of them do pottery, wood carving, and watchmaking. Or it can be said that there is only one person per craft. Most of the aforementioned people are retired and they are still doing this in their free time. In addition, they are afraid that they will have no one to pass their knowledge on. The results from our pilot project, but also in general studies show that traditional crafts play a very important role in presenting the culture and traditions of any country and provide opportunities for employment with low capital investments, therefore, they can be easily replicated in any other place since every country has their own traditions craftsmanship and learning experience can be replicated and adjusted based on the local resources and needs. Workshops and courses, bring the opportunity to understand better life in rural areas in the past from first-hand experience and sharing of craftsmen that can now teach and pass on these skills. The inter-generational learning brings an understanding of principles that the communities and societies were following and makes space to compare it with contemporary methods. The project offers young people the chance to learn many things and acquire knowledge, which will be helpful for their life and their career, but there is a lack of practical work where they can observe some of the processes they are learning about. In the continuation of this project, we plan to involve more actively the municipalities, youth organizations and start-up communities to explore together the possibilities of bringing the spark and motivation to a further level and seeing more artistry innovation start-ups being born that connect all sustainability, aesthetics and inclusiveness.
Rural development
Entrepreneurship
Employability
Traditions
Regeneration
Our youth organization works towards developing the rural areas in the Eastern region and promoting them as ecotouristic spots, as well as planting the seeds for new ideas that will emerge into start-ups and eventually continue working in this field and in this region. The project deepens already started cooperation and ongoing connection between the two targeted generations that will continue working and developing together. By developing this initiative further we would also like to inspire and develop more strategic cooperation with the local schools, especially in the matter of importing different activities in the educational process that are helping the students to develop in different directions through joint work in the future. Learning skills that have been traditional in the region serves as a point of re-transition from urban-centred thinking and employment, back to more rural living, which can significantly shift the nature of the cities, transportation and job creation, and therefore creating a more regenerative approach to living on an individual, community and societal level. Young people need to get to know more ecological and local ways of production and by that develop more of a "do it yourself!" mindset, which can help for a greener future.
This project can serve as an example for other regions and countries that deal with high centralization (all the job opportunities are in the capital city), high unemployment rate and lots of people living at the edge of poverty (in under-developed regions) as a "coming back to roots" initiative which can foster the entrepreneurial way of thinking of the youngsters, teach creative skills and at the same time preserve and protect the cultural heritage of the region and develop its promotion.
Most of all through participation in the crafting workshop everyone that is part of the project learns much more about our own culture, tradition and cultural heritage and learns how to appreciate it better. The involvement of different local artists from different generations helps to improve in establishing cohesion in the community and express ourselves and our uniqueness as well as our similarities by using artistic methods. The young also learn through storytelling from the elders, imagination, but also active participation in workshops and practical learning of craftsmanship. Thus, they form a positive attitude towards cultural heritage and convey emotions, resulting in the development of their aesthetics and love of art. Social skills that are developed in this project such as participation, teamwork, cooperation and empathy are largely cultivated and contribute to the positive emotions towards the region, and local community and significantly increase the sense of belonging. The effect of positive emotions is having a ripple effect and resulting in the cultivation of optimism and the removal of negative emotions in general for young people as they learn the methods that enhance their sense of creativity and motivation as well. Cultural heritage in form of sewing, pottery and other local craftsmanship can be a source of knowledge, imagination, play, and exploration of emotions for all the parties involved (youth, craftsman, community, municipalities, schools, etc.) In this sense craftsmanship as a form of artistic expression and appreciation of beauty can help young people to boost their confidence and make them feel more engaged and resilient. Besides that, it is proven that art engagement also alleviates anxiety, depression and stress, which is very common and increasing in our population, therefore our "craftsmanship education" can be an exemplary form of education as a form of therapy even, soothing all sort of anxiety in youth.
The main objectives in terms of inclusion of the project are:
- creating spaces for inter-generational interactions and therefore enhancing the inclusion of elderly people in the modern community and increasing the quality of their life;
and
- inclusion of young people from the Eastern region of North Macedonia which is less developed and provides fewer opportunities for development and education, and so with the project improving the usage and quality of the free time of the youth by teaching them new skills, to inspire them to take further
actions, such as career orientation, interest in the cultural heritage, design, traditional craftsmanship, creative work, etc. - up to 10 participants per course are chosen (the selection will be done with priority for the participants with fewer opportunities, disabilities, and different ethnical backgrounds)
The inclusion of all and inter-generational transfer of knowledge was provided through all the crafts workshops during the first edition of the project. As some of the participants said about the pottery workshop: "We were always passing by this place and were always curious how is this thing done, but never entered to actually see what is happening." The craftsmen were all from the elder generations and even if they doubted if the participants will be interested it was a great surprise for them that they have shown such an interest and many of them asked for further instructions and the possibility to come to the workshop again to do some more of the work. We have successfully involved more than 20 participants from Probishtip and the surrounding villages in the workshops that have created twice as many items with the new skills they have gained.
This project has been a huge experience for all involved people, especially since being implemented in a quite challenging time (during the Covid-19 outbreak), which at the same time has added even more value to the roles that we took upon. This project has enhanced the ability to take care of ourselves and of others in
order to both protect our personal and our participant's mental and physical health, especially in the given circumstances. The implementation of the project and the positive feedback that we've received from the participants and craftsmen and, generally people that have heard about the project motivates us to continue and develop it further. The initial project implementation gave us confidence regarding our will to, even more, engage in the civic life of our community and the importance of our engagement. Participants stated that this was one of the very few options they have had to use their time productively since the pandemic has started, which was not connected to sitting in front of a computer. This also proves that we have managed to be creative and innovative in the ways we have implemented the workshops that provided a safe space for our participants and us. Having diverse characters among us and the participants have been proven by the way we have creatively expressed ourselves during the workshops. Furthermore, this has improved our understanding and appreciation for expressing ideas through different forms of art which we had the chance to use in the workshops.
We are involving people from across the region contributing to the active building of citizenship and belonging by preserving and protecting the cultural heritage of the region and even contributing to its promotion; development of the rural community and building stronger networks of civil society in the rural areas.
We have successfully involved more than 20 participants from Probishtip and the surrounding villages in the pilot initiative of this project. During the workshops, the participants created twice as many items with the new skills they gained. We have established trustful connections with the craftsmen, the High School in Probishtip as they have helped us with equipment and support in disseminating the call among their students, and the Municipality. Local craftsmen were contacted to give workshops for passing the knowledge to the participants.
After the success of the pilot project, two members of the Change Makers Crew continued their work by establishing the youth civic association GRIT in Probishtip of which Martina Jachevska is a founder and president. GRIT organization is now working on providing space for youth and supporting them in their development, including craftsmanship skills, social entrepreneurship and eco-tourism. Since December 2022 GRIT is also the organization which will be coordinating the newly opened Youth Center which is financially and operatively supported by the Municipality of Probishtip. The Youth Center will be also a place where part of the education and training for youth can take place (workshops about (Social) Entrepreneurship, Marketing and Design workshop as well as a one-day start-up incubator for the participants (idea/design generation, business canvas and pitching of the idea).
On the regional level and national we have established a close connection and partnership with Europe House Strumica and the National Youth Council of Macedonia.
The ancestral knowledge of local elderly people is a heritage that the ancestors have passed on from generation to generation. This wisdom of craftsmanship is part of their system and structure of life linked to their spirituality, identity, practices, economy and culture. The cohesion between the huge generational gaps in our community provides interactive and quality time between two different generations. The interactions between the two groups were so precious and inspiring that through this project, we continue to spark an interest in young people to continue the traditional ways of crafting, which might help them in finding a part of themselves in it, and finding something that brings them to the ground and connects them with the community in a different and maybe unusual way for them.
The project has the ambition to go further, from motivating the members of both generations to share ideas, experiences, and knowledge and helping them understand better each other and their different lifestyles, but also develop practical ways how to make craftsmanship more attractive, visible and profitable. In the continuing efforts of the project, we would like to involve more actively the municipalities, youth organizations and start-up communities to explore together the possibilities of bringing the spark and motivation to a further level and seeing more artistry innovation start-ups being born that connect all the components of sustainability, aesthetics and inclusiveness.
The handcrafting sector played a significant and important role in our country's economy in the past. It provided employment to a vast segment of craft persons in rural and semi-urban areas and generated income for the people living in the rural areas while preserving its cultural heritage.
Because crafts represent a traditional (home-made/ hand-made) form of consumer goods reconnecting them with more traditional and rustic forms not massively produced on a commercial scale. Craft is usually made and designed by the same person and there is complete personal control over all the processes involved. Moreover, the craft entails the application of “skill, knowledge and passion” of the craftsman.
The project brings in the social drive for co-production and contribution to greener, more sustainable and locally oriented production. Additionally, participating in crafts provides opportunities to develop pro-social behaviours, such as leadership, and team building, as well as empathy and ancestral wisdom for all the citizens involved. For young people, the project changes a futurist view of consumption and employment - a perspective through craftsmanship, by changing perspectives and core assumptions about life and daily activities. We will explore how design and crafts working together can contribute to enhancing the value of territorial cultural heritage by redefining product languages and creating new channels of distribution.
The results from our pilot project, but also in general studies show that traditional crafts play a very important role in presenting the culture and traditions of any country and provide opportunities for employment with low capital investments therefore they can be easily replicated in any other place since every country has their own traditions craftsmanship and learning experience can be replicated and adjusted based on the local resources and needs. Workshops and courses, bring the opportunity to understand better life in rural areas in the past from first-hand experience and sharing of craftsmen that can now teach and pass on these skills. The inter-generational learning brings an understanding of principles that the communities and societies were following and makes space to compare it with contemporary methods. The learning makes the participants realize the key differences, and capture the pros and cons of both times. Making a comparison and putting together the pieces will help them to come up with new ideas and combined practices from the past and the present in correlation with lifestyles in the past and present and activate their entrepreneurial way of thinking in them by proposing new ideas and solutions on how things can be improved (new channels of distribution, combining the techniques, modern-rural design, redefining product language and representation, elevating up-cycling and recycling elements of the design combined with craftsmanship and similar).
"CRAFT your FUTURE" presents a ‘learning by doing’ approach which includes:
1. Visiting local craftsmen and their working places.
2. The crafting courses:
- CRAFT #1 - 2 times x 1-hour session ( 8 classes in total)
- CRAFT #2 - 2 times x 1-hour session ( 8 classes in total)
- CRAFT #3 - 2 times x 1-hour session ( 8 classes in total)
3. Implementing 3 workshops: (Social) Entrepreneurship, Marketing and Design workshop (developing new ideas and solutions on how things can be improved (new channels of distribution, combining the techniques, modern-rural design, redefining product language and representation, elevating up-cycling and recycling elements of the design combined with craftsmanship and similar).
4. One-day start-up incubator for the participants (idea/design generation, business canvas and pitching of the idea).
5. Exhibition of the products and designs (virtual on the project channel and physical in the cultural house of Probishtip).
"CRAFT your FUTURE" as an educational project brings awareness to multiple areas of contemporary global challenges:
A. Ecological perspective: the project creates a space for a mindset shift mindset (especially of the young generation) from consumerism to local production= in the support of a greener, fairer and social economy. Crafts that form more conscious consumer behavioural patterns and reconnect us with more traditional and rustic forms not massively produced on a commercial scale. Craft is usually made and designed by the same person and there is complete personal control over all the processes involved (eliminating the pollution of transport, transnational shipping, and unfair working conditions in big corporations' productions). Moreover, the craft entails the "heart" of “skill, knowledge and passion” of the craftsman;
B. Entrepreneurial perspective: new ideas and solutions on how things can be improved are being created (new channels of distribution, combining the techniques, modern-rural design, redefining product language and representation, elevating up-cycling and recycling elements of the design combined with craftsmanship and similar);
C. Inter-generational perspective: o bring cohesion between the huge generational gaps in our community and provide interactive learning and
quality time between two drastically different generations;
D. Regenerative perspective: developing the rural areas in the Eastern region and promoting them as ecotouristic spots with more conscious travelling supporting the local economy by building an ecosystem for new ideas that will emerge into start-ups and eventually continue working in this field and in this region and contribute to its overall regeneration.
During the implementation of the project after each workshop, the participants were asked to fill up an evaluation form. 86% of the participants rated 5 (1 being the lowest, 5 being the best fitting). "This workshop motivated me to spend my time more often with elders, and to also help them when they need it". Our
embroidery craftswoman Radica at the final activity, the exhibition shared with us: "The workshop was great. The participants have shown great interest and we were having fun. The day that I've spent with all of you was amazing. Lots of fun." We have started to develop a deeper relationship between the youth and the elderly people in our area through crafts and exchanging knowledge. 75% of the participants in the Felt & Embroidery workshops rated 5. "This workshop has motivated me to start a new hobby", and 20% rated it with 4. Our participants through their involvement and through getting familiar with the process of crafting have gained deeper knowledge about its roots as well. Particularly in the Woodcarving workshop, Slobodan has shared with the participants the beginnings and the spreading of this craft, its representation, and its value in the Monastries across the country. This has given a different perspective to the participants, and they have developed more appreciation of it as they have experienced the skills and the patience a person should have in order to
make such pieces of art. All the participants had a task to create their own Business Model Canvas during the Social Entrepreneurship Workshop. Furthermore, many of the participants have said that the Social Entrepreneurship workshop and the crafting workshops have motivated them to even start thinking about opening their own businesses. We already have one participant that has started her small business. We will explore how design and crafts working together can contribute to enhancing the value of territorial cultural heritage.
The initiative contributes to a green economy and sustainability in multiple ways:
1. it equips learners and educators with the knowledge, skills and attitudes needed for a greener and more sustainable society - by spreading the awareness of possibilities to repair things, make our own, or learning the techniques such as sewing that can help people to recycle and up-cycle materials as well;
2. actively involves different generations (older and young people), as well as local authorities (municipalities), schools, youth organisations and communities in learning for sustainability while at the same time preserving the cultural heritage and traditional craftsmanship;
3. it creates supportive learning environments for sustainability and social entrepreneurship that enable teaching and learning that are relevant to local contexts and local communities;
