The Catalan Minister for Business and Labour, Roger Torrent i Ramió, took part in the opening of the World Crafts Council Europe (WCCE) Annual Conference, and declared that “hosting this conference is recognition of Catalan craftsmanship and the Government’s commitment to positioning it in the world”. The event took place at Disseny Hub Barcelona this morning. Under the title “State of Crafts: Key Pillars in the Contemporary Craft Sector”, the WCCE brought together representatives of more than thirty craft organisations from all over Europe, as well as a programme of speakers to discuss the state of the sector.

The WCCE is currently composed of 36 organisations from 23 different European countries and is considered one of the most important international organisations for the promotion and support of crafts.

The conference is part of this week’s 16th General Assembly of the WCCE, the annual European summit of the crafts sector, which is taking place in Catalonia this year, and is jointly organised by the Consortium of Commerce, Crafts and Fashion (CCAM) of the Ministry of Business and Labour. In his speech, Torrent also stressed that “we are proud to host this important meeting of European crafts in our country”, and he pointed out that the designation of Catalonia as the venue for the two events is “international recognition of our craft heritage, that of our towns and cities, and at the same time it highlights the strategy of internationalisation that we have undertaken in order to take the prestige and quality of Catalan crafts all over the world.”

“The Government of Catalonia firmly believes in crafts, in their transformative potential and in their capacity to change the world,” emphasised the Minister for Business and Labour. He added that the WCCE conference is “an opportunity to discuss a sector that is in the midst of transformation.” “A sector that, through innovation, creativity and its strong commitment to sustainability and the future of the planet can respond to the most urgent challenges of our time,” concluded Torrent.

Catalonia, through the CCAM, has been a member of the WCCE since 2018, and has actively collaborated in programmes for the promotion and dissemination of European crafts: it is also a member of the board of the Crafts Code and Crafting Europe projects, as well as the European Artistic Crafts Days, and it has also been a member of the institution’s board of directors since 2023. Moreover, and in the field of Catalan craft heritage, La Bisbal d’Empordà became the first “World Craft City” in continental Europe in 2022.

As part of the internationalisation plan, the CCAM’s Crafts area organises and collaborates in international activities, generating synergies with other countries and international entities, exchanging knowledge and promoting international relations to create opportunities for crafts. It is also currently a member of the Michelangelo Foundation. The first Biennial of Contemporary Catalan Crafts, dedicated to the Crafts-Art binomial, participated in Homo Faber in Venice and in Révélations in Paris. The second Biennal, focusing on the fusion of Crafts and Design, was at Dubai Design Week 2023, Milano Design Week 2024, and will participate in Révélations China during Beijing Design Week this coming September. The CCAM has taken the Neomateria exhibition to South Korea and Ireland and promoted the International Craft Audiovisual Exhibition, which is in its sixth year.

During the WCCE General Assembly, which took place on Tuesday and Wednesday at the Catalonia Craft Centre in Barcelona, the members of the institution also visited the artisans at Poble Espanyol and the Sagrada Família to learn about the work linked to the world of crafts of the architect Antoni Gaudí.