At the end of April, we met with our Portuguese and Romanian partners in the village of Ferreiros de Tendais to outline the path of the new Forma Rural project. Only this one focuses on the craft community, artisans, and artists, and strives to expand entrepreneurial skills in local communities. Visiting the beautiful municipality of Cinfães and meeting inspiring local artisans gave us fresh impetus for the successful implementation of the project.
Partnership meeting on the Iberian Peninsula
We went to the Iberian Peninsula at the end of April due to the still somewhat cold spring weather. Our meeting with our Portuguese and Romanian partners took place in the countryside of northern Portugal in the Viseu area, because for the next four days, the planning of the implementation of the new Forma Rural project took place. The new Forma Rural project, which is a continuation of last year's Common Good project, also focuses on the craft community, artisans, and local artists, as we know that they are key to the preservation and popularization of cultural heritage.
Rural challenges and positive changes
The small villages in the municipality of Cinfães hide beautiful examples of architecture and a rich heritage, persistently preserved by the small local community.
The transnational meeting took place in a small village, a good hour away from Porto, in the municipality of Cinfães. Most of this municipality consists of scattered and largely abandoned villages, which still hide beautiful examples of both rural and petty-bourgeois architecture. But if you remove some thorny blackberries from the wall, through a small window you can see the breathtaking grandeur of old devices, such as an abandoned grape press made of wood and stone, which is almost forgotten today.
Despite this, some artisans, artists, and craftsmen still stubbornly persist in the area and fight to preserve the local heritage and their existence. During our visit, we also met with some representatives of the community, who, in addition to their passion for work, also shared their experience and experience of the current situation and highlighted several factors that present challenges to them at work.
The stories of the Portuguese artisans, which gave us a special insight into their work and heritage, gave us as a traveler home new energy and enthusiasm for the successful implementation of the project.
Entrepreneurial workshops to strengthen the community
In autumn, we are preparing a set of six thematic workshops to improve the entrepreneurial skills of the local community.
With the Forma Rural project, we want to expand entrepreneurial skills in the local communities of Slovenia, Portugal, and Romania, as we have found that there is a big deficit in this area.
In the autumn, we are thus preparing a set of six thematic workshops, which we designed based on the information received during the previous Common Good project and the testimony of the Portuguese handicraft community. The workshops will cover everything from digital content design to product marketing skills and will enable participants to acquire knowledge and skills that will strengthen their independence and increase the visibility of local cultural heritage.
We invite you to take part in the autumn workshops!
At the workshops you can expect:
- Cultural entrepreneurship, challenges, opportunities, strategies: we will explore entrepreneurial methodologies and delve into your products/services together (efficiency, weaknesses, opportunities, risk).
- Developing digital marketing skills on social networks: getting to know digital tools and learning how to use them strategically to improve the quality of your product/service presentation.
- Developing photography skills: getting to know the theory and practical training in using the camera on a mobile phone for the purpose of promoting your products/services.
- Developing marketing skills; how to present your product: learning about basic advertising and marketing techniques for the purpose of publishing and promoting your product.
- Opportunities and support for entrepreneurs: in-depth learning about the different types of loans, support and resources that are suitable and available for rural entrepreneurs.
- Relevance, methods for successfully expanding your network and self-management: connecting and networking to establish new partnerships and tips for better self-management.
We will conclude the project during the holiday season with a fair organized by the participants themselves, giving them the opportunity to put their new skills to the test and to present and sell their products and services.
Funded by the European Union. The views and opinions expressed are solely those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor the EACEA can be held responsible for them.
