Young Craft Booster (YCB) is a project that aims to facilitate the integration of young artisans into the job market, as well as to create more opportunities for their entrepreneurial development in the sector. Co-funded by the European Union, YCB is carried out by three partners from Italy, Spain and Ireland: Fondazione Cologni dei Mestieri d'Arte, Asociación Contemporánea de Artes y Oficios and Design & Crafts Council Ireland, with the support of an associated partner, Michelangelo Foundation for Creativity and Craftsmanship.
If the transmission of craftsmanship is not guaranteed, we risk losing the very rich heritage of European artisanal knowhow: YCB aims at actively contributing to the preservation of this heritage.
The project envisages the active involvement of 15 master artisans in passing on their know-how to 15 young talents. Over a period of three years, until the end of 2026, these couples will participate in a classroom and a training programme, which will include a six-month apprenticeship: the young fellows will work alongside a master artisan to learn the secrets of the trade, while the masters will receive support in their daily work and in the digital communication of their business; a theoretical course consisting of seminars and lectures on a wide range of topics, ranging from professional development to entrepreneurship, co-created with leading academic institutions; free access to an e-learning platform with extra training content; and get-togethers, both online and offline.
For Italy, Fondazione Cologni proposed three couples, all of whom were enthusiastic about participating in the project: young milliner Marta Bisso with Ilariusss, a haute couture atelier in Milan; trainee Lucia Ferraresi with the Faenza-basedceramicist Mirta Morigi; and Rita Pisanu with Laboratorio Piroddu, a reference point for traditional Sardinian costumes.
Visit the dedicated website: https://youngcraftbooster.eu/
