Our Activities

In our ongoing mission to promote and advocate for crafts, ECA engages with and carries out a number of activities in areas such as: training and skills development; representation and advocacy; networking; collecting and disseminating data on the sector; communication and others.

3-27 Copy of JOSELUISBAZAN1-Pablo Morquecho-Courtesy of Fundesarte

Our activities pay special attention to the changing landscape of contemporary issues facing both craftspeople and broader society and in all of our actions, we aim to continue to embrace the values of the European Union including freedom of expression and creation; embracing equality; human rights and dignity.

Both independently and in collaboration with international partners and consortiums, ECA is involved in organising a spectrum of events and programmes. These include webinars, workshops, conferences, trainings, residencies, summits and more. The content of these varies but is always aligned with our mission to elevate awareness of crafts as an integral part of society’s cultural, social and economic wellbeing.

Our activities are guided by the European Crafts Alliance statutes:

To promote crafts in Europe, by increasing the awareness and appreciation of crafts as an integral part of the cultural, social and economic well-being of society;
To enhance and protect the status of crafts as an integral part of cultural, social and economic life, by building a strong international network of contacts in the field of crafts through its members, affiliates and strategic partnerships, and by joining international cooperation programmes of importance to the crafts sector;
To strengthen the role of the European Crafts Alliance as the main representative organisation for crafts in Europe, by providing a critical voice, promoting and representing crafts at international and political levels, and advocating on regulatory and policy issues;

To encourage crafts as a professional activity aiming at producing works of the highest quality while strengthening the capacity of the European craft sector by promoting specialised training for craft professionals and by promoting training opportunities in the fields of entrepreneurship, digital, financial and management skills in order to enable craftspeople to effectively generate jobs and growth, through an increased capacity to respond to common challenges (economic, digital and social);
To support and advise skilled craftspeople from all over Europe, regardless of gender, race and nationality, to be active at international level, by fostering transnational cooperation for the creation, circulation, promotion and visibility of European crafts works;
To guarantee mobility and the exchange of ideas, ensuring fair remuneration for craftspeople and sustainable development of urban and rural areas;
To highlight and accelerate the important transformative role of the European craft sector as a driver of sustainability and the circular economy, maximising their potential to combat climate change, including by reducing the environmental impact of their activities;
To promote an in-depth knowledge of the specific needs, characteristics and vulnerabilities of the European craft sector along the whole value chain, through research, mapping with a focus on diversity and social cohesion by also engaging in a continuous and close dialogue with craft stakeholders and other policy sectors (education, youth, science, research and innovation, environment, employment, social affairs, tourism).