World Crafts Council Europe to mark 40th anniversary with Tbilisi hosting General Assembly
The Tbilisi General Assembly of the European body will bring crafts professionals to the capital in an anniversary year for the continental organisation. Photo: WCCE.
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The significance of crafts heritage and ways of preserving and transferring skills to the next generation will be some of the subjects bringing together professionals of the World Crafts Council Europe in Tbilisi next week, as the continental body celebrates its 40th anniversary.
Gathering in the Exhibition Hall of the National Parliamentary Library of Georgia, crafts experts and organisations will hold a WCCE General Assembly in the capital under the title 40/40 Heritage Past, Present and Future.
Hosted by the Georgian Arts and Culture Centre, they will review matters of relationship between heritage and contemporary craft practice, examining “ways we can use skills from our past to re-invent and preserve craft practice”, a preview by the Council said.
It will also ask how craftsmanship could develop over the following decades and the role of handing down relevant skills to future professionals.
The WCCE is focused on crafts heritage and preservation and held Crafting Europe, a display of exhibits from across European countries, earlier this year:
Working sessions of the General Assembly will go over subjects including preservation of legacy of the past, relationship between craft and museum venues and use of digital technology and social media in sharing crafts knowledge.
Craftsmanship training across Europe and ways of building audience for it will also be discussed at the Parliamentary Library, as speakers and presenters use the opportunity to hold networking meetings in Tbilisi. They will also visit local craft workshops, countryside locations and heritage sites during their stay in the country.
The Assembly will serve within the WCCE’s mission to “elevate awareness and appreciation of crafts as an integral part of societies cultural, social and economic wellbeing”.
Formally established in 1979, the European body’s founding followed the formation of the World Crafts Council in 1964 to “promote an international interest in crafts and encourage contact between the craftspeople of different countries”.
National, regional and other bodies have gained membership in the WCCE since its launch, with member organisations represented from across Europe.
The Parliamentary Library, located on 7, Gudiashvili Street, will host the General Assembly on June 7.
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