INTERCULTURAL CRAFT. A bridge between traditional knowings and cultures

<< Background >>The INTERCULTURAL CRAFT project was born with the aim of building a partnership network among universities, business clusters, and third-sector organizations engaged in intercultural craftsmanship, circular economy practices, and the socio-labor inclusion of migrants, asylum seekers, and refugees. The project concept stems from a twofold consideration:- Most migrants, asylum seekers, and refugees who arrive in Italy and other European countries involved in the project, even if they manage to find employment, rarely succeed in leveraging their artisanal skills - On the other hand, many of the artisanal networks and activities in the European countries involved suffer from a lack of intergenerational transition, with the consequent risk of dispersion and loss of millennia-old skills passed down from generation to generation through hands-on experience and manual craftsmanship.The project aims to develop and test innovative training pathways designed to propose new practices of cooperation and social inclusion of migrants in host territories, selecting craftsmanship as a key production sector for the transmission of acquired knowledge and the creation of new shared knowledge.<< Objectives >>The project objectives were based on a Needs Analysis Map developed by all partners using participatory methods and tools during the proposal phase. These objectives aimed to respond to real needs identified across different local contexts while fostering cooperation and innovation in vocational education.Key objectives included:- Conducting research and analysis of European social enterprises engaged in intercultural craft and circular economy practices, in order to map existing experiences and identify transferable models;- Developing and testing an innovative training method designed to enhance the creative potential and existing skills of migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers in the craft sector, within VET frameworks;- Promoting inclusion and mutual exchange between newcomers and local professionals with traditional craft knowledge, fostering intercultural dialogue through hands-on collaboration;- Strengthening the competencies of social enterprise staff working with migrants at the local level, to better support integration pathways;- Creating a digital tool to facilitate knowledge sharing, online learning, and the visibility and dissemination of intercultural craft results.<< Implementation >>- Mapping and analysis of the social enterprises present at national and EU level in which intercultural craft practices are activated according to sustainable circular economy practices (INTERCRAFT state of the art map);- Activation of an innovative joint curriculum that allows the learning of soft, digital and green skills for three different, but intertwined, target groups (young migrant people, local artisans, social workers). The training path, thanks to HEIs and cluster partners involved, aimed to use an innovative method of social and intercultural empowerment (INTERCRAFT joint curriculum);-Through the pilot action of the joint curriculum, creation of a collaborative learning environment in which space was given to intercultural dialogue between people and skills. The pilot actions were planned in detail and monitored through data collection and internal reports, to organize then a package of documents (INTERCRAFT training kit);-Creation of a social platform intended as a digital space for sharing the material provided and produced by the participants in the joint curriculum, but also as a tool for disseminating and communicating the actions undertaken and the results achieved by the project (INTERCRAFT digital tool). << Results >>The INTERCRAFT project delivered several tangible and strategic results:- Conducted desk and field research across participating countries, mapping existing intercultural craft practices and social enterprises;- Developed the INTERCRAFT Atlas Map, a comprehensive tool identifying best practices and contexts where craft meets social inclusion;- Designed an innovative Joint Curriculum targeting migrants, local artisans, and social workers to foster soft, green, and digital skills;- Created a Methodological Handbook detailing participatory, intercultural, and co-design tools in VET contexts;- Implemented Pilot Actions in Italy, Slovenia and Greece, testing the curriculum with participants (artisans , migrants, social workers) and generating valuable feedback;- Compiled outputs into the INTERCRAFT Training Kit, integrating curriculum, tools, and guidelines for wider adoption;- Launched the INTERCRAFT Digital Tool, a dynamic platform supporting e-learning, knowledge-sharing, and showcasing participant work.