On 30 May, 2019 Latvia-Russia CBC Programme Managing Authority and Latgale Planning Region signed the grant contract to implement the project “Craftsmanship without Borders” (Crafts).
Eight partners from Latvia and Russia will strengthen the joint tourism attractiveness of their municipalities by educating, training and supporting artisans in 15 locations in Latvia-Russia cross-border territories.
The project offers four answers to the question what unites crafts over borders: metalworking, textile, woodworking and ceramics. Municipalities and business supporting organizations in Latgale region (Latvia) and Pskov region (Russia) will concentrate their efforts on helping local craftsmen to use local resources and traditional technologies for producing products in modern design that would attract the attention of a potential buyer.
80 artisans on both sides of the border will be directly involved in the following project activities:
- theoretical capacity building courses, 3-day creative workshops and cross-border networking fairs;
- modernization of craftmanship equipment in Riebini, Kraslava, Ilukste, Aglona, Rugaji, Preili, Livani, Cibla, Porhov and Pskov;
- improvement of infrastructure for tourism promotion in Daugavpils, Luznava, Balvi, Andrupene, Berkenele and Porhov;
- a set of promotion events including joint internet platform, production and dissemination of visual stories and information materials.
The total budget of the project is almost 800 thousand EUR, including Programme co-financing amounting to almost 720 thousand EUR.
Also, the project aims to benefit the growing number of tourists visiting Latgale-Pskov region (1.7 million in 2017) by offering them a joint cross-border tradition packed into a modern creative product waiting for them in remote but advanced municipalities of Latvia and Russia.
To find out more about “Crafts” project, visit: http://bit.ly/LAT-RUS-Crafts
