COOP'ART

This morning, a delegation of representatives of the Town Hall and the Association of Ceramists of La Bisbal d'Empordà has travelled to the Italian city of Montelupo Fiorentino, in Italian Tuscany, to visit the Cèramica Fair, one of the most important Fairs in Italy, and meet with representatives of the Association of Ceramists and the Museum of Ceramics of this city. This visit has been done within the framework of the European COOP'ART project for the promotion of crafts, of which La Bisbal d'Empordà is one of the fourteen partners and has the objective of promoting and enhancing local resources such as know-how to make identity crafts from the territory of the European regions that are part of it.

During the preparatory meetings for the candidacy of La Bisbal d'Empordà to the COOP'ART project of POCTEFA, it was agreed to include a study that would allow the establishment of a new ceramic fair model for the city, which would begin in 2020 and could have continuity. This study, which was presented last January at La Bisbal d'Empordà in the framework of the first meeting of the project partners, collected a set of good practices in ceramic fair events at European level that could be emulated in La Bisbal. The project also includes the carrying out of a technical prospecting visit to two of these trade fairs or cultural events identified in the study, one of them Cèramica.

Cèramica is celebrated annually in Montelupo Fiorentino, a city on the outskirts of Florence, where, similarly to La Bisbal d'Empordà, ceramics-related crafts are one of the most important economic sectors, both in terms of economic activity, territorial identity, cultural and tourist attractiveness. For three days, Cèramica becomes the showcase of ceramic projects made throughout the year by local, national and international artisans and artists, and becomes a place where you can learn, share and cooperate with other professionals in the sector.

Montelupo Fiorentino Ceramic Fair.

Cèramica was born 27 years ago in Montelupo Fiorentino, a ceramic city on the outskirts of Florence, with the aim of enhancing a thousand-year history, which was not known as such until the end of the seventies and early eighties. For a long time, in fact, people talked about generic Florentine or Tuscan ceramics, without identifying the place of the factory. This was possible thanks to the discovery of the so-called "Pozzo dei lavatoi", an ancient place that after having ceased to function was used as a dump for local furnaces. Excavations, carried out between the early 80s and 2000s, rebuilt the history of Montelupine manufacturing, revealing that Montelupo has always been the center of ceramic production of the city of Florence and the objects made there adorned the tables of the most important Florentine families.
The event has become the occasion to present the projects carried out throughout the year by local and renowned artists from national and international levels, to meet potential audiences and share knowledge with experts from the industry. For some years now, the traditional aspects have been linked to contemporary ceramics. Cèramica is also an opportunity to maintain a dialogue between different forms of performing art. In fact, during the 3 days of the event, shows and concerts take place next to shows and art installations.

Link for more information: www.festaceramica.it

COOP'ART, a project to promote crafts
COOP'ART (EFA219 / 16) is a project developed by different Catalan and French partners to promote a shared strategy for innovation and sustainable development of craftsmanship within the framework of the POCTEFA European program (INTERREG VA Spain-France-Andorra program ) of territorial cooperation created to promote the sustainable development of the cross-border territory between these three countries, and in which economic cooperation projects co-financed by the actors on both sides of the Pyrenees.

The members of the COOP'ART project are fourteen, seven from France: Regional Chamber of Trades and Craftsmanship (head of row), associations from Chambers of Trades of the Pyrenees, Ariège, Haute Garonne, Hautes Pyrennées, Pyrenées Orientales, and the City Council of Martres-Tolosane; And seven of Catalans: the Diputació de Barcelona, Terracotta Museum, the Bisbal d'Empordà Town Hall, the Lleida-based Obrador Xisqueta association, the Sant Hilari de Sacalm Town Hall, the Consell Comarcal de la Selva, and the Activa Prospect Consultant.

With regard to the Bisbal d'Empordà Town Hall, among other actions, through the COOP'ART project, part of the works of the exteriors of the Terracotta Museum can be financed, which will host this new event proposal at La Bisbal as regards to the 2020 and design a presentation stand for the Cerámica de la Bisbal brand to attend national and international fairs. In La Bisbal, the project has the support of the Association of Ceramists and the School of Ceramics.

Link for more information: https://www.visitlabisbal.cat/ca/coopart

The project has been co-financed at 65% by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) through the Interreg V-A Spain-France-Andorra Program (POCTEFA 2014-2020). The objective of POCTEFA is to strengthen the economic and social integration of the border Spain-France-Andorra. Its help concentrates on the development of economic, social and environmental cross-border activities through joint strategies in favor of sustainable territorial development.