Youth Conference

The specific objective behind this activity was to encourage meetings of young designers, experts of intangible cultural heritage, craftsmen, and the general audience to discuss the state of contemporary applied arts in Europe. It showed the artistic richness of the specific traditional sources and the inspiration they generated in the field of modern applied arts and design. These reciprocal exchanges of experience produced a real multilateral interaction, promoted the transnational mobilization and cooperation of cultural workers, and encouraged intercultural dialogue. It was a one-day-long youth conference in Budapest, Hungary. We invited speakers, experts and young participants from every partner country.
Location and date: July 3, 2024, at Dürer Kert (Budapest).

AGENDA

Lublóy Zoltán DLA (Hungary) discussed the survival and relevance of folk art and traditional techniques, emphasizing the synergy between contemporary design and past craftsmanship.

Tanja Devetak (Slovenia) compared educational practices in handicraft and design across Europe, highlighting Slovenia’s unique contributions and fostering cross-cultural understanding.

Assoc. Prof. Ayşe E. COŞKUN, PhD (Turkey) introduced innovative ways of blending traditional methods with modern design, showcasing examples that create authentic visual languages.

Tea Gotsiridze (Georgia) offered insights into Georgian arts and crafts, such as Cloisonné enamel and felt-making, and their transformation into modern designs.

Ivona Haurash (Poland) presented projects from the Academy of Fine Arts in Gdańsk that reinterpreted traditional heritage using modern technologies.

Participants engaged in hands-on handcraft demonstrations and masterclasses led by skilled artisans:
Farkas Réka introduced leatherworking techniques, enabling attendees to create personalized jewelry items.
Seregély Mirtill taught the art of traditional Hungarian gingerbread making, sharing the symbolic meanings behind the designs.
Csíki Virág guided participants in crafting felt jewelry, demonstrating the versatility of felt as a material.

Later, the Traveling Exhibition was opened, showcasing contemporary designs inspired by traditional crafts from five countries. The event included a prize-giving ceremony honoring innovative works that exemplified the creative fusion of heritage and modernity. The exhibition was opened and hand over the prizes by Daniel Biro (Laterna Magica) and Adriana Godeanu-Metz (EACEA).

The evening finished with a vibrant concert and folk-dance session by the Berka Band. Performing music from Csángó and other regions, the band engaged attendees in a lively folk-dance experience, reflecting the enduring spirit of traditional culture.