"The project ""Crafting 50 & beyond"" wants to promote the improvement of older craftsmen in the 21th century. Many people over 50 years old have spent their entire lives in the same profession and after the crisis, they were unable to find employment in their area of expertise: in 2013 seniors had the highest unemployment rate in the last 15 years due to the economic crisis of 2008-2014. The crisis's effects may differ in territories with less economic and social preparation to face the collapse and the situation has grown worse now due to COVID- 19 pandemic and in need of new skills and innovation to face unemployment or loss of income. The tradition of handicrafts is found across Europe, keeping centennial forms of business and art alive. Today, in addition to the cultural potential that these activities have, their development is necessary to promote knowledge, improve the quality and access to artisanal products, and boost the employment of people over 50 who are unemployed or intend to continue to have a productive activity.As characteristics of the sector, it should be considered that:Products are created in small quantities as opposed to industrial products that can be made in series.The products' characteristics can only be at the local level or for companies that already have knowledge of the product and are easy to place on the market, that is, resellers.Craft enterprises are not only located in cities but primarily decentralized in rural areas.Crafts and small enterprises typically rely on their local roots and make an essential contribution to local development, social integration, and circular economy.They often are developed by people with disabilities hence providing them a social integration. (DIN;2017)This sector is unorganized; there is a lack of entrepreneurship. Taking into account the characteristics of the craft sector, Crafting 50 & beyond will work to understand the competences that craftsmen from different partner countries have and the activities they need to develop to make these activities more creative and digital. Taking advantage of the economic restructuring that the pandemic requires, and encouraged by the 'Do-it-Yourself' trend, the entire artisanal area will be worked on, understanding the cultural and legislative contexts of each country for these activities, and working directly with craftsmen to endow them with the business and technological skills needed to boost their business.As products of the project will be developed the following intellectual outputs: IO1 - Craftsman Business Guidebook: Creation of a guidebook with two types of instructions, first information about existing support and craft organizations in each partner country, and second, practical information about how to develop business, tools available, digital tools to be applied. That means a map of the process to create a business successfully. This will have a joint version in English. Still, each partner must create a pocket format (paper and online) with only the relevant information from their country and the translated tools to apply to the process of business construction.IO2 – Training course to boost craft businesses: aimed at 6 artisans (per country), especially from rural areas over 50 years old. The course aims to equip the artisans with skills to boost their cultural business, creativity, and digital readiness, by applying the resources from IO1 into a pilot group. This course allows people to develop their business with a business advisor's auxiliary who will guide the process.IO3 – Arts and Crafts toolkit - Manual that aggregates the arts developed by the artisans accompanied by the project, to make known the various forms of crafts existing in Europe and how to carry them out, leaving the knowledge available to all those interested, especially younger generations. This will create an added value also in terms of showcasing and marketing the product to potential sponsors.The project includes 7 partners from 7 different countries, including 1 non-programme country, which allows a better understanding of the craft sector across Europe and a greater spreading of the project goals.At least 42 craftsmen will be involved in the project activities, following a co-construction methodology and 18 craftsmen will have the opportunity to participate in a blended mobility of learners.230 stakeholders will be involved in multiplier events directly."

CRAEFT will deepen our understanding of making activities that include care, judgement, and dexterity standing on Anthropology, Knowledge Representation, Cognitive Science, Art History, Advanced Digitisation, Audiovisual & Haptic Immersivity, and Computational Intelligence to cover the multifaceted expression of crafts as living and developing heritage, as a sustainable source of income, and as the expression of the mind through imagery, technology, and sedimented knowledge. A generative approach will prove sufficiency for digital conservation, reenactable preservation, and scaling of approach for the full range of materials and techniques. CRAEFT will catalyse craft education and training with intuitive digital aids, telecommunications, craft-specific simulators, advanced immersivity, and high-end digitisation, to widen access, economise learning, increase exercisability, and relax remoteness constraints in craft learning. The integration of haptics intelligence haptics in digital design connects tacit knowledge in computer-aided craft-specific design tools. Workflow simulation will support experimental archaeology for the recovery of lost techniques. The analytic workflow analysis leads to digital fabrication opportunities for menial tasks, material savings and reuse, and reduction of energy consumption. Digital dimensions attached to individual works of craft will enable certification and attachment of digital content, but also enable reputation and community building, supported by a Community Portal for professionals and the public that connects to the New Media, hosts heterogeneous craft portforlios, and registers practitioner credentials. The efficacy of the approach will be piloted in eight representative craft instances with the cross-cutting objectives of Craft Education & Training, Design, Valorisation, and Community services across the range of materials.

<< Background >>Crafts Youth Future Engagement targets youngsters between 13 and 18 years old and aims to reconnect them with the sector of professional craftsmanship. The analysis made through two surveys among craftsmen and young people highlights that there is on one side a problem of transmission of know-how to new generations and on the other side a lack of awareness about what crafts professions are and which business areas they cover. A large percentage of craftsmen is aging and will be retired within 10 to 20 years. Most of them do not have any succession plan and their skills may be lost, together with their precious experience in the profession. Craftsmanship professions are covering sectors such as interior design, fashion, cultural heritage preservation, traditional building, and tourism. All these areas are essential to European richness and diversity. Furthermore, since youngsters agree there is a need to put more sustainability and responsible consumption in our lifestyle, the project’s goal is to demonstrate how craftsmanship can contribute to reach this objective. The partners’ expertise in both the crafts sector and education will be supported by high level skills in digital technologies to co-produce tools which will highlight the main values represented by craftsmanship: strong knowhow and expertise, entrepreneurship, high quality, long-lasting production, low waste, local sourcing, self-accomplishment, creativity, innovation, and cultural heritage safeguard. They will also highlight the diversity of opportunities offered by the sector.<< Objectives >>The project aims at changing the mindset of European citizens about the place and role of crafts professions and to highlight how, in the global market, crafts represent a responsible and sustainable option. Young people are the primary target group.. The project aims at educating young from 13 to 18 years old and set the basis for a more responsible future generation.Youth workers will be the secondary target group which will include any type of professional working with young people, such as teachers, career counsellors, as well as any adult in charge of education or orientation.<< Implementation >>CYFE will use field-based developmnet, by consultation with craftsmen in interviews and detailed description of their profession, mapping the scenario acorsso participating countries, and will build upon interactivity to make the materials appealing for young people. Partners will develop materials based on the principles of gamification and graphic design, as well production of high-technological features - the virtual reality tours. To compensate for the high-digital tools, partners will also build a physical toolkit with samples of raw materials to provide a sensorial experience. In order to test everything, partners will implement a joint staff training for youth workers to be prepared on the utilization of all the materials to further test them with young people. Multiplier events will serve to support the dissemination of the project and to increase awareness on the importance of crafts for a brighter future.<< Results >>During the project, CYFE partners expect to produce 3 specific results that aim to contribute to increase craft visibility and share experience in learning programs that makes craft atrractive future job for young people.These are:PR1 - Youth workers guidebook that will produce specific information about what it is crafts profesisons, the links with real markets and respurces for youth workers to better support young people in knowing more about crafts and choose their profession;PR2 - Youth toolkit that will provide interactive, didactic and engaging materials for young people to get acquaintaced with selected crafts professions in an attractive way, this will increase their knowledge aobut these professions;PR3 - Virtual tours of workshops that will provide a radical innovation in crafts presentation to youth and that be used by youth workers to present them these professions.Results from project activities:24 craftsmen interviewed in the different professions and areas1 interactive map to be published in mad'in europe website1 guidebook for youth workers about crafstmen in 7 languages1 short funny guide - from PR1 and adapted to young people1 set of gamified materials to promote the knowledge of crafts professions (at least 3)1 toolkit produced with samples of raw materials in all partners languages1 pack of virtual reality tours to some crafts workshops20 youth workers trained on the outputs produced during C1 activity20 young people using the materials producedThe outcomes are:Improved materials to disseminate crafts professions, based on sustainability, innovation and comtemporaneity Increased capacity of youth workers to promote crafts as a future professionIncreased awareness of young people about crafts and how it represents sustainability and green economyIncreased knowledge of young people about the different professions and where to go for vocational training