New Heritage Stories Developed by Artisans From Idrija

Slovenia's cultural heritage is exceptionally rich, but many bearers of intangible heritage, such as artisans and other creators, face various challenges. Their efforts deserve support that will enable the sustainable preservation of heritage and promote the development of local communities. This fall, as part of the Forma Rural project, we organized workshops focused on the specific needs of these groups.

Building a Network of Creators and Artisans

In ID20 Institute, we have been collaborating with artisans and other bearers of intangible heritage for a long time, mainly through the Idrija Žlikrofi Festival and other project activities like last year's Common Good project. In the latter, we identified key challenges faced by creators: the need for practical knowledge for effective promotion and support in building personal brands that express heritage value and local identity. We understand that creators face limited resources for professional advertising, have a lack of time and skills to prepare attractive content to attract modern consumers. They need stable sales platforms, shared stores, regular sales venues, fairs, and initial support, such as subsidies for renting spaces and joint promotion, to reach a wider audience.

Workshops brought many networking Opportunities.

To address these challenges, we designed a series of three workshops within the Forma Rural project aimed at encouraging entrepreneurial thinking and developing necessary skills. The workshops offered a combination of theoretical knowledge and practical exercises tailored to participants' needs.

Three Workshops for Practical Solutions

At the first October workshop, led by Matevž Straus together with Žan Menart, participants learned the basics of cultural entrepreneurship and marketing skills. This workshop provided the foundations for greater product visibility on the market and the development of entrepreneurial strategies.

Participants got hands-on experience with photography.<Q

The second workshop, conducted by photographer and influencer Klara Avsenik Žagar, focused on using mobile phones to create visual content for social media. Participants learned techniques for better presenting their products and brands.

For better promotion, the use of mobile phones is also important, which we tried out in practice with the participants.

At the final workshop, held in collaboration with guests Mateja Bizjak (Idrija-Cerkno Development Agency), Kati Sekirnik (DUO Škofja Loka), and Maja Modrijan (Destilator), we learned their stories and examples of good practices from other artisans. We discussed ways to network, find financial and professional support, and organize events.

Collaborating and Creating

Our vision remains clear for the future. We want to support creators and artisans who preserve cultural heritage through their work and adapt it to modern market challenges. Participation in the workshops showed the great potential of local creators and their desire to transfer knowledge.

We are already using this knowledge in preparing a Christmas market, organized together with members of the Lipa Rič Association. We look forward to sharing the results of our collaboration with you in December!