As contributors to the Ministry of Culture’s consultation on the EU’s new Cultural Compass, we must point out the shortcomings that put artisans at risk of being pushed into the blind spot of politicians. Craftsmanship is a practice that originates from hands, workshops and physical processes – and therefore has completely different structural requirements than most other art forms.
Nevertheless, the Culture Compass’s concrete initiatives are designed as if all art forms can be accommodated in the same template. Working conditions are described through models that are suitable for the performing arts, but not for the patchwork economy in which an artisan creates unique works, produces in small series, teaches, repairs and experiments in the workshop.
The perspectives on cultural heritage overlook the fact that Europe must not only preserve its buildings, but also its living craft traditions. These traditions are not nostalgic remnants; they are dynamic ecosystems where innovation, material understanding and sustainability meet. They are key to the green transition – not a footnote.
Our consultation response calls on the EU to recognise craftsmanship as a distinct field with specific characteristics. This requires support schemes that address craftsmanship and a cultural heritage policy that embraces contemporary craftsmanship as a bearer of both historical knowledge and future green practices.
If EU wants a cultural compass that actually shows the way forward, it must also show the way for those who work with the materials. European culture is more than ideas and institutions. It is also soil, clay, glass, fibres, metal and the refinement of human hands. Craftsmanship is part of Europe’s future – not just its past. Let us ensure that the Cultural Compass also points in that direction.
Danish Crafts & Design recommends that the European Crafts Alliance (ECA) be actively involved in the development and implementation of the Cultural Compass to ensure that European crafts are not marginalised.
Facts
The European Crafts Alliance is an established network with almost 40 member organisations from more than 20 European countries. Danish Crafts & Design Association is the national representative organisation and member of ECA.
Danish Crafts & Design Association has submitted a consultation response to the Ministry of Culture regarding the EU’s new cultural compass.
Read about the EU’s new cultural compass here
This article has been translated using AI. The original text is written in Danish.