Socio-economic development for communities with rich craft heritage

A workshop on Black Ceramics was created in two villages with rich histories of traditional production in order to strengthen socio-economic innovation. This was done within the development initiative Oficis Singulars of the Catalan government.

Both Quart and Verdú are expert potter villages where pre-historic traces of black ceramics have been discovered by archaeological excavation, an ancient technique of firing clay that darkens and gives it a special porosity.

With this tradition as a starting point, more than sixty products evolved, and business strategies were developed for new market niches. The design process involved facilitating a large, multi-disciplinary group made up of an ethnographer and a local historian together with eleven potters. The development process was presented as an exhibition about the cultural and commercial future of craft and it’s techniques.

Oficis Singulars

This initiative initiated by Artesania Catalunya focused on the development of future economic perspectives for the crafts sector.

Through creative consultancy, the initiative aimed to strengthen socio-economic innovation in villages with a rich history of traditional craft production. The Oficis Singulars were listed by regions, processes and products.

Our studio was invited to work in two materials, Black Ceramics (Quart and Verdú) and Salt (Cardona).

The process started with in-depth visits to each workshop and village, followed by the design and development of new products that would respond to contemporary markets.

The results have been showcased locally, national and abroad in trade fairs. All products can be purchased at Artesania Catalunya.