The first edition of Young Craft Booster Programme (2024/2025) has brought together master artisans and emerging talents across Italy, Spain and Ireland, transforming workshops into spaces of encounter, transmission and innovation.
Selected through open calls in each country, the duos began their journey with a theoretical course focused on entrepreneurship, communication and professional development, before moving into six-month paid apprenticeships alongside their host masters. What followed was not simply technical training, but a profound exchange of skills, visions and life experiences.
In Italy, ceramics, millinery and traditional costume making took centre stage. In Faenza, young ceramist Lucia Ferraresi joined Mirta Morigi’s historic workshop, immersing herself in modelling, glazing and decoration techniques rooted in one of Europe’s most renowned ceramic traditions. In Sardinia, Rita Pisanu worked with Giuseppe Piroddu at Laboratorio Piroddu, mastering the complex tailoring and embroidery techniques of traditional Sardinian dress. In Milan, Marta Bisso entered the theatrical world of Ilariusss, refining haute couture millinery skills while exploring sculptural forms and performance-inspired design.
In Spain, the programme highlighted woodworking, sculpture and embroidery. In Andalusia, Florencia Olivera collaborated with master carpenter Francisco Luis Martos Sánchez on intricate gilded woodwork inspired by centuries-old Mudejar techniques. In Alicante, Juan Manuel Juárez Cabello and Víctor García Villalgordo created a contemporary polychrome wooden sculpture rooted in Baroque tradition. In Granada, Anastacia Juana Gómez González worked alongside master embroiderer Encarnación Berrio López, learning historic lace embroidery techniques that she now plans to share with artisans in Mexico.
In Ireland, stone carving, lacemaking and blacksmithing defined the experience. Finn Conlon trained with sculptor Helen O’Connell, hand-carving stone pieces that blend Irish heritage with Art Deco influences. Jack O’Meara explored Kenmare lace under Fiona Harrington’s guidance, reinterpreting historic textile traditions through contemporary art. Meanwhile, Michal Halvonik collaborated with blacksmith James O’Riordan on a forged steel mirror symbolically titled “Tús ré Nua” (“a new dawn”), merging Irish and Czech forging traditions.
Beyond the individual stories, the first year has demonstrated tangible impact. All participating apprentices reported that the experience met their expectations and strengthened their motivation to continue in the craft sector. Several are planning to open their own workshops, others have received job offers or are developing independent artistic practices. Masters, in turn, recognised the value of intergenerational collaboration and the renewed visibility brought by the programme.
Young Craft Booster’s first edition confirms that craftsmanship thrives where knowledge is shared, curiosity is encouraged and generations work side by side.
In workshops across Europe, the future of craft is already taking shape.
