Knowledge Craft Café

The workshop was proposed and organized by a team of experts in strategies and methods for innovation, from the company IDEAI of Barcelona, utilizing the method of the “Knowledge Café", an interactive method of conversation already adopted by large firms, governments and communities all over the world to animate networks of collaborative dialogues on the problems and themes of particular interest in the work, economic, social, political and cultural environments etc. Participants in the Knowledge Craft Café included, besides OmA’s scientific committee, representatives of Italian and foreign institutions and associations in the field. The questions put to the participants were:

- Organization of a European day on handicraft
To be organized each year or every two years with the aim of spreading the culture of crafts.

- A study on the financial structure of artistic businesses in Europe
The study could take into consideration the vitality and prospects of handicraft in Europe in the cultural context.

- Promote the launch of the periodical on the artistic crafts directed mainly at young artisans to create a European awareness and an exchange of experiences.

- Promote a network of training institutions for craftsmen to strengthen the cooperation on the plans, the exchange among students, the preparation of texts, the development of BLOGS and a common NETWORK for training etc.

- Promote a network of European handicraft museums to compare the different national and local situations, create an inventory of the museums, prepare a European Guide, spread cultural knowledge, promote economic activities and give rise to tourism linked to artistic crafts.


The discussion was very animated, all the participants enthusiastically offered all their skill and deep knowledge in the handicraft sector  that they represented. From last November’s Knowledge Craft Café a document was drawn up that summarized all the themes discussed, the solutions proposed, the tally obtained by each when voted on, an indication of the first projects that could be  carried out. You can download it here in three languages.