“Rediscovering forgotten occupations: heritage, inclusion, entrepreneurship” Erasmus Project

Project Title

“Rediscovering forgotten occupations: heritage, inclusion, entrepreneurship”

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for vocational education and training

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2018

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Migrants’ issues; Inclusion – equity; Cultural heritage/European Year of Cultural Heritage

Project Summary

To follow the initiative of European Parliament ( 2018 – The European Year of Cultural Heritage), 5 partners from 4 countries ( Poland 2x, Italy, Spain and Portugal) declared to work on rediscovering forgotten handicraft occupations in the context of inclusion and entrepreneurship.
Our objectives were:
– the protection, preservation, re-use and development of European handicraft heritage coming from participating countries;
– showing the importance of handicraft heritage for inclusive training purposes for migrants and local socially excluded people;
– increase the knowledge and staff skills of traditional forgotten crafts and pass them to last beneficiaries;
– showing the way to create small handicraft business based on the example of good practices from participating countries and its contribution to the local economy;
– develop and increase intercultural dialogue without any prejudices;
– strengthen the feeling of belonging to a larger European family.

The project developed among staff, handicraft forgotten techniques: wicker work ( PL), loom weaving ( ES ), folk costumes ( PL ), old unique harp handicraft ( IT ) and handicraft leather production (GR), as tools for training and social integration and as activities leading to inclusive learning environments.

2 target groups: staff and learners (non-EU citizens or newly-arrived migrants, asylum seekers, local people suffer of social exclusion: women 50 +, unemployed at any age).
Project developed training paths for an inclusive educational approach in VET.

Teachers and staff of organizations participating in this project on the basis of their previous individual experiences identified tools and work placement methods. These approaches were based on achieving work based learning, and creation intangible and tangible joint outcomes.
Intangible results:
– acquisition of inclusive training skills for handicraft trainers,
– increased handicraft skills of staff and learners,
– enhanced intercultural competences for staff and trainees of participating organizations,
– enhanced networking of partners involved, at local, national and European level,
– enhanced networking with handicraft business and relevant stakeholders,
– increased EU project management competences, especially for new partners to the Erasmus + program,
– transfer valuable experiences on handicraft market and best practice.

Tangible results: logo, poster, leaflet, manifesto, E-Brochure about techniques of forgotten occupations, video-clips as tutorials of process of handicraft work, Power Point presentation of best practices, real and virtual exhibition, Project Facebook page, many long-lasting inclusive handicraft workshops, entrepreneurship and ICT lessons and other extra products.

Dissemination and evaluation activities were well developed and were crucial to help to achieve project goals and sustainability.

The project partners were all actors involved in VET field. Four of them had already gained experience in Erasmus +. One partner was newcomer, but has long experience in the specific field of handicraft. Experienced partners taught step by step new partner (IT) how to manage the EU project and how to work on the international level.
The consortium organized 3 project meetings ( PL, GR, IT) to exchange the good practice and work on the project management and one short-staff training in Spain to teach staff loom weaving and get knowledge of municipality inclusive programs.
Working with old forgotten traditional handicraft had a value recognized historically worldwide: many migrants arriving to Europe know these crafts, also local people from disadvantaged groups. The project emphasized the relationship between the artists and target groups. It highlighted the real sense of “handmade” products and enhanced the development of creative abilities while fostering social inclusion.
Our goal was to provide an occasion for intercultural exchange through mutual cultures of locals and immigrants what can be known and valued.
The workshops carried out at a local level in each participating country motivated migrants and social exclusion people to meet and learn together in a collaborative way and to acquire knowledge of rules and habits of their hosting societies in a direct and informal key.
The project reached relevant stakeholders of local communities in the handicrafts. They were involved in local activities and brought their knowledge of traditional forgotten occupations techniques.

The impact has been on target groups, stakeholders and all other actors. It is visible in increasing handicraft skills and competences among staff and learners. All organisations and stakeholders improved collaboration on the European level and included in their curriculum new project approaches. One member of each organisation was charged to carry out follow up activities after the project end as the sustainability of the project results.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 58900 Eur

Project Coordinator

Stowarzyszenie “VESUVIO” & Country: PL

Project Partners

• Ayuntamiento de Candelaria
• Comune di Satriano di Lucania
• EUROPEAN PROSPECT Ltd
• Fundacja CREATOR