Sammendrag
The title of the Craft Hub conference ‘Transformation – Effect
and Affect of Craft in Society’ was conceived by Astrid Heimer at
OsloMet and developed in collaboration with the editorial team.
The conference was closely connected to the OsloMet exhibition
‘Transform’ at the University Campus Gallery, curated by Siv
Hofsvang and Wenche Lyche. Together the conference and the
exhibition described two interconnected perspectives of the Craft
Hub project.There is an essential role for the arts in research and
interdisciplinary collaboration in the research landscape today,
including in the EU New European Bauhaus plan. This was
emphasised at the conference by Laila Fauske, Vice Dean of
Research, Development and Innovation at Faculty of Technology
Art and Design at OsloMet. Barbara Stacher, Senior Expert at the
European Commission’s Directorate-General for Education and
Culture (DG EAC)’s Cultural Policy Unit, presented the current
policy and funding opportunities in support of the creative sector
including craft.
This was a further development from a collaboration with Becky
Riches and Paolo Montemurro from Materahub. The Exhibition
methodology was curated by Rita Orlando with Antonella
Valerio who developed the content methodology and Gabriella
Mastrangelo the exhibition set-up design, this included a travelling
exhibition and in-country exhibition. At OsloMet the Vice Rector for
Research and Development Tanja Storsul opened the exhibition
‘Transform’ in the OsloMet university’s gallery in PP33. The
exhibition was part of the strategy in the OsloMet, Visningsarena
(OsloMet Exhibition Arena) project that aims to promote artistic
research both as a strategy and as a learning arena where the
aesthetic competence in art, design and drama are shown in
practice. The material and visual live demonstrations complement
written texts. Together, they are essential for understanding the
content of the professions in the arts.
Craft Hub was initiated by artist and researcher Shelley Doolan at
University of Wales Trinity Saint David (UWTSD) in 2016. OsloMet
have more than 20 years collaboration with Swansea College of
Art at Wales University. OsloMet became involved in Craft Hub
through a collaboration visit, where International coordinator Steen
Ory Bendtzen and former Head of Department of Product Design
Gunnar H. Gundersen met researcher Tyra Oseng-Rees. She was
a former bachelor student from Product Design at OsloMet. She
had done her master and PhD in UK on sustainable glass. Craft
Hub has later been well supported by the University leadership of
OsloMet. This includes Einar Stoltenberg, head of the Department
of Product Design, an education that was founded in 1917 as
Statens Husflidsskole (National School for Crafts). It also includes
Liv Klakegg Dahlin, the Head of The Department of Art Design
and Drama, an education that was founded in 1875 as Statens
kvinnelige industriskole (National School of Industry for Women).
The Craft Hub project developed through several stages
with all partners and successfully was funded in 2020, under
the leadership of Carlow County Council (CCC) and Kieran
Comerford. In Ireland CCC with Craft Hub was announced as a
National Winner in the European Enterprise Promotion Awards
2023 and went forward to the European Final, where winners
would be announced in Spain in November 2023. The closing
conference and the exhibition demonstrated essential qualities of
the project and pointed to several ways for the future.
Oslo, 22nd of October, 2023.
By Arild Berg, leader of OsloMet partnership in Craft Hub
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