Crafting Futures Armenia, Making and Learning Now: Craft Research

This study of the perspective of 56 craftspeople who have been involved in or exposed to informal learning, from all over Armenia reveals a sector in an extremely challenging economic situation due to both the covid-19 pandemic and the war. Craft work, business practices, economic situation, informal teaching and learning, environmental sustainability and the crafts people’s own perceptions of their sector were explored.

The craft being produced is traditional in technique and style, evolving and sometimes becoming hybridised, but mostly building on an established idiom. There is a rich range of practices, largely practised by an ageing group, but with some interest from young people that can be nurtured. Craft has real cultural and social value for those involved, especially within family groups. The passion and enthusiasm of our respondents shows this. Using this social, long term and flexible approach within the formal education system may help to develop new craft makers with excellent technical and soft skills and provide a more flexible and creative learning and teaching environment. Promoting the continuation of informal learning is just as important, as it is not likely to be able to replicate all the benefits of learning within the family group.

Aside from the disruption of the pandemic and war, it is a sector that is growing overall. Many craftspeople are motivated by the quality of the work itself rather than developing a business which may in part account for the lack of adaptation in the face of the pandemic. This passive approach is not ideal if the aim is to develop a business. Peer Learning or mentoring might be a good approach to developing and advocating for business skills. Successful businesses have an important role to play in continuing craft practices.

Encouraging patronage in creative ways at home and abroad might be one way to improve the economic situation, as well as developing more knowledge and appreciation in members of the public. Promoting the making and collecting of craft as a positive, eco-friendly, culturally and socially responsible past time through knowledge.

The internet is being used more and more by some craftspeople, this is an area that could do with some more attention to support craftspeople to professionalise their online presence and to use it for their business, but on a simpler level it provides further opportunities for skills sharing and intergenerational learning.

While the economic situation is distressing, strengthening the craft community itself through opportunities to learn from one another and socialise will help build the camaraderie necessary to build resilience and maintain enthusiasm for craft.