ECA Annual Conference 2026
Crafting Wellbeing: Practices, Communities and the Power of Making
Thursday, 30 April from 09.30 CET | Florence, Italy & Online
The success of the craft sector is often measured by its economic output or cultural heritage. But in a fast-paced and often disconnected world, the true power of craft also lies in its human impact.
The European Crafts Alliance Annual Conference 2026, co-hosted by Artex, will explore how making helps to heal and connect. Bringing the craft ecosystem together, the event will look at the practice through the lens of wellbeing. Guest speakers will discuss how the act of crafting connects hand, mind, and material, creating essential spaces for resilience, agency, and social connection.
The conversation will be grounded in evidence. Using the ECA’s new study on Crafts and Health as a foundation, the conference will examine how crafts actively contribute to healthier lives and stronger communities, and how to better support the people who make.
Join the conversation in Florence and online to reflect, exchange ideas, and define how crafts influence both individual wellbeing and collective society.
A Historic Backdrop of the MIDA 90th Anniversary. The conference coincides with a major milestone: the 90th edition of MIDA, the world’s longest-running crafts fair, and will be held at the same venue (Firenze Fiera). Conference attendees will receive complimentary access to the fair.
Previous ECA Annual Conferences have explored themes such as skills for future generations and the economic positioning of crafts. The 2026 conference continues this journey by placing wellbeing at the centre, highlighting the human, social, and cultural dimensions that underpin a sustainable craft sector.
The conference will be held in person in Florence, Italy, at Teatrino Lorenese, Firenze Fiera, and live-streamed online from 9.30 to 13.30 CET.
The conference will be held in English. It is free and open to all.
We look forward to welcoming you, whether in Florence or online!
The full programme and speakers will be announced soon.
Galleria dell’artigianato – Essenza del Fare at MIDA 2025, photo by Artex
Past ECA Annual Conferences
2022
Crafting the Future – Skills for the next generation of craftspeople
Co-hosted by CEARTE at the Museu de Arte Popular in Lisbon, Portugal
2023
Crafting the Future – New Skills & Opportunities for Crafts
Co-hosted by the Malta Crafts Foundation at the University of Malta, Valletta Campus, Malta
2024
State of Crafts: Key Pillars in the Contemporary Craft Sector
Co-hosted by CCAM at the Design Hub, Barcelona, Spain
2025
Positioning Crafts in the Contemporary Economy
Co-hosted by Norwegian Crafts at Litteraturhuset, Oslo, Norway