On 24 October, as part of the 4th Experiència Artisania, a debate on sustainability in craftsmanship was held at the cinema in Sant Martí de Tous.

Artisania is an initiative of Anoia en Transició and the fruit of cooperation between four municipalities —El Bruc, Copons, La Llacuna and Sant Martí de Tous— to build an economically, socially and environmentally sustainable rural community that generates knowledge, wealth and opportunities for people through contemporary craftsmanship.

Artisania is a commitment to raising the profile of the rural area of the Anoia. A project that articulates the territory and connects it with creators and with the world.

Artisania embodies the values of contemporary craftsmanship in order to strengthen the villages, the natural environment and the talent of the rural Anoia, and to make the area a place to live, find inspiration and create.

The round table was preceded by the screening of a selection of audiovisual works linked to sustainability and circularity from the International Craft Audiovisual Showcase of the Catalan Consortium for Trade, Crafts and Fashion (CCAM).

The Experiència Artisania debate was moderated by Jordi Vidal, executive director of Leather Cluster Barcelona, and featured the participation of the following experts:

• Isabel del Río, doctor in the history of design and a specialist in the history of leather and leather goods. Coordinator of the higher vocational training course in Leather Techniques at the La Gaspar Municipal School of Art and Design in Igualada.
• Olga Dubovik, leather artisan and coordinator of the intermediate vocational training course in plastic arts and design in Leather Accessory Craftsmanship at the La Gaspar Municipal School of Art and Design in Igualada.
• Mar Ribaudí, designer and multidisciplinary artist. Creator of Maribaudi, a clothing and accessories brand built around experimentation, sustainability and craftsmanship.

An enriching debate in which craftsmanship was championed as a path towards a more sustainable world. Craftsmanship promotes the circular economy, making the most of our local resources, avoiding the saturation of the planet and generating wealth in our area.

An unforgettable afternoon that ended with a tasting of craft beers from the Anoia region.

The collaboration with Experiència Artisania is a further step by Leather Cluster Barcelona to highlight the value of our country’s leather artisans.

In this respect, the cluster is also working on specific projects to give visibility to Catalan leather artisans and fashion designers, such as its own space at REC.0, La Pell del Rec, and its collaboration in Crafts2B (Innovation Brands Crafts).

Leather Cluster Barcelona is a competitive cooperation environment for promoting cross-cutting, transformative strategic projects with the aim of driving forward the ecosystem of the Catalan leather sector within the framework of Shared Value policies. The cluster is an accredited body within the Catalonia Clusters programme and has the support of Acció.