Materahub has always aimed to go beyond European projects, and this is exactly what it is now achieving through a range of initiatives focused on developing artisanal skills as a means of social inclusion.
Starting with Crafthub, a major European project dedicated to reviving and modernizing traditional craft techniques, and now with Mosaic – Mastering Job Oriented Skills in Arts & Crafts, which focuses on enhancing vocational education and training (VET) in the arts and crafts sector for the future, Materahub is actively exploring the use of craftsmanship as a tool for social inclusion.
Through these projects, funded by the European Commission, Materahub has successfully engaged the local community and organizations dedicated to inclusion, both in Matera and across Italy, by organizing workshops where local artisans collaborated with young designers and community members to preserve traditional crafts.
From this dynamic and collaborative ecosystem, nurtured within the European project bubble, Materahub invited Scuola Centrale Formazione to Matera to organize its annual training sessions for its members where it highlighted the potential of artistic and craft-based activities to develop soft skills and foster personal relationships.
The organizations involved
Scuola Centrale Formazione, a long-time partner of Materahub, is an educational organization based in Bologna, encompassing 50 institutions across 13 Italian regions with over 120 accredited locations.
The meeting, held from July 22 to 24, was hosted by the Matera-based cooperative Oltre l’Arte, with whom Materahub had previously established a successful partnership through the Crafthub project. Oltre l’Arte is nationally recognized as a model for integrating craftsmanship, particularly papier-mâché, with training and employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities, including those with Down syndrome.
Among the 14 participants were trainers from sheltered workshops for individuals with disabilities, as well as the director, artistic manager, and cultural activities coordinator of a vocational training center (CFP) in Este, which serves students with disabilities, coordinators of adult disability communities, an art counselor from a CFP in Puglia, and representatives from various foundations and cooperatives across Italy also took part.
From this dynamic and collaborative ecosystem, nurtured within the European project bubble, Materahub invited Scuola Centrale Formazione to Matera to organize its annual training sessions for its members where it highlighted the potential of artistic and craft-based activities to develop soft skills and foster personal relationships.
Guided by the master and Artistic Director of the Solidarity Workshop Uccio Santochirico, participants experienced the traditional Lucanian technique of papier-mâché and explored how this technique could be integrated into their existing workshops and activities. Santochirico shared his enthusiasm for the event: “We are very happy to be involved in such kind of activities and having the chance to show our solidarity workshop model to an international audience.
At Oltre l’Arte, we believe that craftsmanship generates positive outcomes by responding to personal instincts and stimuli. Through workshops and participatory artworks, it creates opportunities for exchange, relationships, and connection in the act of making.
These are moments that foster participation, where experiences, skills, sensitivities, and abilities are shared. Learning even basic skills, like working with papier-mâché, can contribute to broader inclusion processes.“
