AEuCC European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation “Cities of Ceramics” Assembly in Aveiro – January 2024

Important days of work for ceramics in Aveiro on January 19th and 20th: during the long weekend in Portugal’s important ceramics capital, a series of important events were held simultaneously, such as the “1st Portuguese National Congress of Ceramic Cities and Towns“, the AEuCC Assembly, and numerous visits and meetings among the more than 200 participating delegates.

During the AEuCC assembly in particular, the main bodies were renewed, especially the presidency and technical directorates. After a farewell speech by the outgoing Spanish president, Manises City Councilor Xavier Morant, the assembly appointed AEuCC’s new president, by acclamation and for the three-year period 2024-2027, Dr. Felipe Capão, current president of the Portuguese Association of Ceramics Cities and Villages (AptCVC) and deputy mayor of the city of Aveiro, the important ceramics city where the proceedings were held, and who joins the prestigious list of his predecessors, Frenchman Philippe Amy of Aubagne, Italian Stefano Collina of Faenza, and, as mentioned, Spaniard Xavier Morant. The assembly renewed the technical offices by reconfirming Italian Giuseppe Olmeti and Spaniard Oriol Calvo as technical Directors, finally defining the strategic lines for an important relaunch of activities in the coming years.

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CLAY High-Level Political Dissemination event

Umbria Regional Office in Brussels (Belgium)

October 11th and 12th 2022

October 11th and 12th, 2022 – The partners of the Interreg Europe CLAY project (Cross Sector support for Innovative and Competitive Artistic Ceramic SMEs) have met in Brussels (Belgium) to present the project results to an audience of policy makers, directors, officers and stakeholders of various institutions and colleagues. 

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EUROPEAN HORIZON PROJECT PRESENTED AND UNDER EVALUATION

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AEuCC has been part in the recent months of an important European Horizon Project of Cluster 2 Heritage in the field of handicrafts, titled: “TRAFT: CRAFTSMANSHIP FROM TRADITION APPROACH TO FUTURE”.

Thanks to a strong collaboration between all partners, the main initiatives of the project are:

  • general project management;
  • research and analysis activities by gathering requirements and analyzing real and common needs of the craft sectors all around the EU and some associated countries. This information will serve as requirements for the technical work packages WP3, WP4 and WP5;
  • support the research and innovation about the possibilities of the new cutting-edge technologies in the craft sector. Those technologies will be related to different aspects of the creative path, from product development to production, including all the stages of the craft sector value chain;
  • define the technology transfer process and test and experiment with technologies in the real craft sector by future and actual artisans and develop new professionalism, carriers and future CV of the new craftsman;
  • create a platform in order to support technological developments of the WP3 and WP4, but also to share knowledged, techniques, materials and processes data registered in WP2 with the immersive experiences of the real artisans;
  • communication, dissemination and exploitation of all results through many activities and events (with AEuCC as WP-leader).

The project was started and submitted by initiative of AEuCC which is, together with the lead partner University of Bologna, one of the main coordinators. Other partners are: Meditech Consortium for Innovation of Naples representing 7 universities, the World Craft Council Europe (European federation of craftsmanship chaired by Elisa Guidi of ARTEX), the University of Stuttgart and University of Leiria, Academy of Riga and Academy of Wroclaw, but also 3 very important private companies, such as Colorobbia, leader in the ceramic and glass materials sector, Cerámica Cumella of Barcelona, supplier of materials and technologies to the Sagrada Familia, Parc Guel and collaborator of architects such as Renzo Piano and protagonist of the “new European Bauhaus” and Manufaktura, the main company of Boleslawiec ceramics, and the very important Turkish City of Kutahya (with its partner Simpas)

Here the full list of participants:

  • UNIBO Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna Italy
  • AEuCC European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation (EGTC) Cities of Ceramics limited Spain
  • MEDT Consorzio Meditech – Mediterranean Competence Centre 4 Innovation Italy
  • WCCE World Crafts Council Europe Ireland
  • IPLEIRIA Politécnico de Leiria Portugal
  • KUT Kutahya Municipality Turkey
  • USTUTT University of Stuttgart Germany
  • AAL Art Academy of Latvia Latvia
  • CECUM Cerámica Cumella Spain
  • COLOR Colorobbia Italy
  • AADW Academy of Art and Design in Wrocław Poland
  • MNFK Manufaktura Poland
  • SIMPAS SIMPAS Turkey

Clay Project / Project meeting in Horezu, Romania

CLAY project – Interreg Europe

Project meeting in Horezu – Romania / June 2nd – 3rd, 2022

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The South-West Oltenia Regional Development Agency, as partner of CLAY – “Cross Sector Support for Innovative and Competitive Artistic Ceramic SMEs” project, organized together with the project leader, the Umbria Region of Italy, the first meeting of the second phase of the project.

The event, attended by partners from Italy (Umbria Region and the European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation Cities of Ceramic) and from Portugal (Technology Center for Ceramics and Glass), together with relevant regional actors in the field of artistic ceramics, took place in Romania, Horezu – one of the representative places for authentic Romanian ceramics, between 2nd – 3rd of June 2022. Partners from France (Association for the Development and Promotion of the European Ceramics Center) and Finland (Southern Ostrobothnia Regional Council) also joined online the event.

The purpose of organizing the event was to exchange experiences and point of views on the first year of implementation of the action plans in the project regions, between the partner countries and also to identify possible improvements for the second year of implementation.

The meeting was opened with the speeches of:

– Mr. Ștefan-Cătălin Catană – Interim General Director of the South-West Oltenia Regional Development Agency;

– Mr. Nicolae Sărdărescu – Mayor of Horezu City Hall;

– Mr. Eugen Săvulescu – President of the Association LAG ”Horezu Microregion”.

The event continued with the presentations concerning the progress of the action plans implemented in the five regions covered by the project: South-West Oltenia Region in Romania, Umbria Region in Italy, Southern Ostrobothnia Region in Finland, Centro Region in Portugal and Nouvelle-Aquitaine Region in France.

Also, during the meeting were discussed the future steps to support SMEs in the field of ceramics, granting increased attention to product and process innovation, while maintaining the tradition of ceramics.

On the second day of the event, were organized study visits in the region, as follows:

– the first study visit took place in the workshop of the local ceramic artist, Sorin Giubega, from the village of Olari, Horezu, recognized by UNESCO for his works, as ”human treasure”. The artist talked about the craft of pottery, about the traditional pottery of Horezu and he also made a short demonstration of shaping and decorating clay.

– the second study visit took place in the store of Nicoleta and Laurențiu Pietraru, who developed a business in the field of ceramics through a unique marketing method. The store is, in fact, a unique construction in the area, it reveals a huge pot, representative of the traditional ceramics in the region.

– the third study visit was organized at the Romanian folk pottery fair ”Cocoșul de Hurez”, which reached its 50th edition, this year. The event brought together Romanian potters who presented their creations in an unique exhibition in the country.

Visit Clay Project – Interreg Europe page >

 

AEuCC Online Meeting

18th of February 2022. It was held online an extraordinary meeting of the Presidents and Directors of the National Associations of Cities of Ceramics, members of AEuCC, opening the third year of the Presidency of Xarier Morant, representative of the City of Manises and of Spanish Association AeCC.

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The meeting was an opportunity to congratulate and welcome the two representatives of the Portuguese AptCVC Association: Mr. Miguel Capão Felipe (President of the Board of the Portuguese Association and City Councilor of the Municipality of Aveiro) and António Felgueiras (President of the Assembly of the Portuguese Association and City Councilor of the Municipality of Mafra  ).

Miguel Capão Felipe, President of the Board of the AptCVC and City Councilor of the Municipality of Aveiro

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António Felgueiras, President of the Assembly of the AptCVC and City Councilor of the Municipality of Mafra
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During the meeting the Presidents’ and Directors’ Board was updated about the European Projects which AEuCC is preparing for the next future and particularly the Horizon Craft (TRAFT) with deadline in April 20.

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It was also discussed the coming implementation of “Good Morning Ceramics !”, that will take place on next May 21 – 22: born in 2015 as “Buongiorno Ceramica !” the “widespread festival of Italian ceramics”, now at its eighth edition, thanks to the success of the event in its first editions in Italy, has developed into “Good Morning Ceramics !”, gradually finding adherence in numerous European countries (Spain, Portugal, Czech Republic, Malta, Croatia, Slovenia, Poland, Turkey, etc.).

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The pandemic impact on the CLAY regions, sharing successful experiences and best practices

CLAY project – Interreg Europe

Interregional learning event

Hosted by the Lead Partner, Regione Umbria, in Perugia (Italy) 

on December 16th, 2021

December 16th, 2021 – The partner of the Interreg Europe CLAY project (Cross Sector support for Innovative and Competitive Artistic Ceramic SMEs) has met in Perugia (Italy) to discuss the pandemic impact on the CLAY regions, sharing successful experiences and best practices.

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