Celebrating women artisans in Asturias

News & events Celebrating women artisans “Raíz y oficio” event Round-up The event “Raíz y oficio: mujeres artesanas en el rural,” organized by the University of Oviedo, was successfully held on 8 March 2026 in Cenera (Mieres, Asturias), in celebration of International Women’s Day. The gathering created a space for exchange and encounter between artisans, researchers, and participants from the local community. It also counted on the presence of other Asturian members of the CULTURALITY consortium, including UriaXait and La Ponte Ecomuséu, further strengthening connections within the project. One of the hands-on activities led by a participating artisan, encouraging shared learning and exchange. Throughout the day, various activities encouraged dialogue around the role of women in craft practices and their contribution to rural contexts. The program combined moments of discussion, shared learning, and collective reflection. Guest speakers contributed diverse perspectives, while the participation of artisans, such as textile artisan Paz Mesa, brought practical insights rooted in lived experience. Textile artisan Paz Mesa delivering a talk as part of the programme. Participants engaging in a collective activity, following the collaborative spirit of the event. One of the highlights of the day was the collective artistic activity, which symbolized the shared values at the core of the initiative. In the afternoon, the opening to the public allowed for broader engagement, with conversations addressing the links between craftsmanship, territory, and cultural sustainability. The day closed in a warm and participatory atmosphere, featuring music and a display of local craft production. Photography: (Photographer/s’ name/s) https://www.xunta.gal/es/notas-de-prensa/-/nova/022196/xunta-presenta-asturias-estrategia-apoyo-artesania-galicia-con-motivo-8-marzo Share with:

UniOvi introduces Crafts and Innovation Micro-Credential

News & events Crafts and Innovation A New Micro-Credential Course for Sustainable Cultural Development The University of Oviedo has announced the launch of the course “Crafts and Innovation: Frameworks for Sustainable Cultural Development”, a new training initiative designed to support artisans and cultural professionals in Asturias, as well as anyone interested in building connections across culture, history, geography, ethnography, product design and business models. The course will take place during the last week of April at the Casa de Cultura in Infiesto (Piloña, Asturias), with the possibility of attending online depending on the chosen enrolment option. It is coordinated by the Department of Art History and the CULTURALITY project and brings together a multidisciplinary teaching team from the University of Oviedo and the Chair of Crafts at the Polytechnic University of Valencia. The course is coordinated by Ángel Antonio Rodríguez Martín. With a total workload of 50 hours, the programme aims to contribute to rural revitalisation by building on the rich tangible and intangible heritage of Asturias. It focuses on supporting craft-based initiatives that balance tradition and innovation, addressing key topics such as identity, territory, communication and content creation. By the end of the course, participants will have acquired practical tools to improve the visibility of their projects and to address common social and professional challenges within the sector. This course is part of the European Micro-Credentials framework, officially recognised under the European Qualifications Framework and integrated into Spain’s higher education system. As such, it represents a flexible and inclusive learning opportunity open to participants of all ages and backgrounds, regardless of whether they have previously accessed higher education. Pre-registration will be open from 13 to 16 April, while enrolment will take place from 17 to 22 April. Full details about the course, including requirements and registration procedures, can be found here. Through this initiative, the University of Oviedo and the CULTURALITY project aim to create a space for knowledge exchange and collaboration, where traditional craft practices can engage with contemporary challenges and opportunities. No Images Found! Photography: (Photographer/s’ name/s) https://www.uniovi.es/estudia/titulospropios/microcredenciales/oferta/-/asset_publisher/NCtkAT4jPSMb/content/id/14154595 Share with: Previous Post

From AlpTextyles to Culturality

News & events From AlpTextyles to Culturality Rozman Award Recognition as a Model of Practice-Based Heritage Work The Faculty of Design in Ljubljana has granted the Rozman Award recognition to the team behind the Alp Textyles textile school, acknowledging their expertise, commitment, and collaboration in enabling and delivering hands-on work in textile techniques and design. The ceremony took place on 22 January at Center Rog, where the award was presented to CULTURALITY researcher Katarina Šrimpf Vendramin, Handicrafts centre Škofja Loka coordinator Kati Sekirnik, and artists involved in CULTURALITY project: Anja Musek, Lili Panjtar and Andreja Stržinar (among others). Alp Textyles project (Interreg Alpine Space programme, 2022–2025) aimed to bring together Alpine textile ecosystems to strengthen the knowledge base for research and education, support heritage sensitive and circular approaches, and contribute to regional development. It demonstrated an effective practice-based approach to project work by connecting specialist knowledge, field practice, and textile heritage. ZRC SAZU contributed research-based expertise on cultural heritage and supported the project’s engagement with crafts knowledge and heritage practices. The project has now concluded, but the approach is being taken forward in the CULTURALITY project where we build on collaboration with craftspeople and develop tourism in rural areas through locally grounded skills, knowledge, and cultural practices. No Images Found! Photography: Loti Kavšek (External evidence link) Share with: Previous Post

CULTURALITY contributes to debate on heritage and tourism

News & events CULTURALITY contributes to international debate on heritage and tourism in Aix-en-Provence Subtitle On 31 January 2026, two members of the University of Oviedo team of the CULTURALITY project participated in the International Conference “New Challenges for Underwater Nature and Cultural Heritage Tourism during the Ocean Decade”, held in Aix-en-Provence, France. The conference brought together researchers, policymakers and practitioners to reflect on evolving models of cultural and nature-based tourism in the context of climate change, sustainability transitions and shifting relationships between communities and their own heritage. CULTURALITY took part in the Special Session “Horizon Europe TOURAL”, organised within the cluster of Horizon Europe projects focused on tourism, cultural heritage and sustainable development. This session created a shared space to present ongoing research and exchange perspectives on how European-funded initiatives are rethinking tourism practices across different territories. During the session, Ángel Antonio Rodríguez Martín, member of the University of Oviedo team, presented the paper “Touching the Land: Rural Craft as a Tool for Deep Experiential Tourism”, co-authored with a colleague as part of the project’s research activities. The presentation explored the concept of post-extractive tourism, an approach that moves beyond models based primarily on consumption and resource exploitation, instead foregrounding care, reciprocity and meaningful engagement with the landscape. Drawing on CULTURALITY’s work with rural artisans, the paper argued that craft practices can foster forms of deep experiential tourism rooted in first-hand material knowledge, local identity and long-term territorial resilience. In addition to the paper presentation, the team also presented a poster entitled “CULTURALITY: Craft-Based Approaches to Rural Resilience”, offering an overview of the project’s objectives, methodology and territorial focus. The poster was primarily designed by Enrique Meléndez Galán, member of the University of Oviedo team. Lucía Pérez Fernández attended the conference as the poster representative and joined the discussion following the session, engaging with participants and responding to questions about the project’s framework and ongoing activities. Conference Poster offering an overview on CULTURALITY. The conference provided an important opportunity to situate CULTURALITY’s research within broader international conversations on heritage, sustainability and tourism innovation. It also reinforced the value of collaborative spaces such as the TOURAL cluster in strengthening connections between sister projects. These exchanges are continuing to develop productively, with further joint dissemination activities and events already being planned. Photography: (Photographer/s’ name/s) AMU UNESCO Chair International Conference 2026 – New challenges for UW nature and cultural heritage tourism during the Ocean Decade Share with:

New Scientific Articles and Open Calls by CULTURALITY partners

News & events New Articles by CULTURALITY Partners Published and Upcoming A new winter issue of the Bulletin of the Slovene Ethnological Society (Glasnik SED 65/2, 2025) is now online, featuring a thematic section on handicrafts. Drawing on the renewed attention handicrafts have received in recent years, the section looks at handicrafts as a meeting point of tradition and innovation, local knowledge and wider trends, and individual and collective practice – while also opening questions of well-being, creative industries, and socio-environmental sustainability (including the preservation of historic built environments and immovable heritage). Articles mostly focus on Slovenian cases; in one of them, Saša Poljak Istenič and Tajda Jovanovska analyse the contribution of ethnological research in the CommHeritour, AlpTextyles, and Culturality projects. Issue page: https://www.sed-drustvo.si/sl/publikacije/glasnik-slovenskega-etnoloskega-drustva/glasniki/glasnik-slovenskega-etnoloskegadrustva-65-2-2025 PDF: https://cdn2.domdesign.com/users/SEDDrustvo/Site/sites/sed-drustvo.si/modules/Domino/Files/glasnik-slovenskega-etnoloskega-drustva-65-2-2025.pdf At the same time, Traditiones scholarly journal has published a call for papers for the thematic issue “Contextualizing Handicrafts”, to be published in 2027. The editors welcome empirical, theoretical, and methodological contributions that approach handicrafts as work, skill, and/or social practice – in workshops, institutions, markets, and public, local, and digital settings. Articles discussing CULTURALITY topics, such as gender policies, circular economy, tourism, and work at the peripheries, are particularly encouraged. Call details: https://ojs.zrc-sazu.si/traditiones/announcement/view/24 No Images Found! Photography: (Photographer/s’ name/s) (External evidence link) Share with: Previous Post

CULTURALITY represented at CRAFTour General Conference

News & events CULTURALITY represented at CRAFTour General Conference hosted at the European Parliament Subtitle The CULTURALITY project was represented at the CRAFTour General Conference, hosted at the European Parliament in Brussels. The event focused on the broader impact of crafts across Europe, examining their contribution to cultural heritage, economic development, territorial identity and cross-sector innovation. Ana María Fernández García, Principal Investigator of CULTURALITY at the University of Oviedo, attended the conference on behalf of the project. Her presence ensured that the research and experience developed within CULTURALITY were connected to ongoing European-level discussions on the future of the craft sector. Ana María Fernández García, Principal Investigator of CULTURALITY, pictured with fellow participants during the CRAFTour General Conference at the European Parliament. The conference explored the impact of crafts on both tangible and intangible heritage, as well as their role in strengthening territorial identity, cultural diversity and a sense of belonging. Particular attention was given to the contribution of crafts to European economic development and competitiveness, especially in relation to SMEs and microbusinesses, employment generation, rural areas and sustainability. Another central theme was the interconnection between crafts and other sectors. Discussions highlighted links with traditional building and historic monuments, fashion and luxury industries, interior and product design, the musical sector and tourism. This cross-sector perspective reinforced the idea that crafts should not be understood as an isolated field, but as a dynamic ecosystem embedded in multiple cultural and economic processes. Speakers during one of the conference panels. No Images Found! By attending the conference, Ana María Fernández García was able to follow these exchanges closely and engage with stakeholders from different countries and institutional contexts. The setting of the European Parliament gave particular visibility to the strategic dimension of the craft sector and its relevance within European cultural and economic policy frameworks. Photography: (Photographer/s’ name/s) https://europeancraftsalliance.org/craftour-conferences-the-structural-future-of-european-craftsmanship/ Share with: Previous Post

Värmland Design Students Test Digital Storytelling App in Aveiro

News & events Värmland Digital Design Students Test ‘Alstret’ App Prototype in Aveiro Subtitle Between February 17 and 19, 2026, the CULTURALITY team at the University of Aveiro welcomed two design students and their tutor from the Swedish school Brobygrafiska, alongside Region Värmland researcher Stefan Barkman. The visit marked a cross-cultural testing phase for “Alstret,” a digital prototype developed by the students to digitally narrate the stories behind traditional crafts. The Swedish group with members of the ID+ Research Institute, including part of the Portuguese CULTURALITY team. This exchange builds upon a previous academic module structured by tutor Jonatan Rist-Christensen at Brobygrafiska, where students explored Värmland’s cultural heritage through design (more on this project can be read here). The visiting duo’s project, Alstret, was selected by an international jury to be developed alongside the CULTURALITY team. Having initially tested the app’s framework with the work of Swedish textile artisan Therese Henner, the primary goal of this Portuguese mobility – proposed and organized by Barkman – was to test the prototype’s adaptability within a different cultural landscape. Organized locally by Portuguese CULTURALITY researchers Gonçalo Gomes, João Monge Coutinho, and Matilde Guedes, the three-day itinerary included fieldwork and prototype development. After an initial day exploring the city and the University of Aveiro campus, the Swedish and Portuguese group traveled to rural Tondela. There, they visited AmaCastelões, a traditional linen workshop run by local women and a central focus of the Portuguese team’s field research. This immersive visit allowed the students to gather fresh media and narratives, providing a new context to stress-test the app’s storytelling capabilities. Rosa, an artisan at AmaCasteões, presented the linen process to the Swedish group. The AmaCastelões association workshop, based in an old primary school. Digital Design workshop with Brobygrafiska students. Physical prototypes for a new user experience flow being tested for the app. The final day was dedicated to a hands-on digital design workshop back at the university. The teams collaborated to critically evaluate and refine the user experience for Alstret’s media submission and story creation workflows, ensuring the platform remains intuitive for artisans from diverse backgrounds. To conclude the visit, the students presented their ongoing work to researchers at the Aveiro offices of ID+ (Research Institute for Design, Media and Culture), taking the opportunity to get feedback from researchers working in diverse fields. Beyond the work sessions, the mobility provided a much-appreciated opportunity for the Swedish team to enjoy a brief, warm escape from the Scandinavian winter. This exemplifies CULTURALITY’s core mission: bridging European realities to co-create innovative tools for heritage preservation and rural tourism. Photograps: Stefan Barkman http://uaonline.ua.pt/detail.asp?c=95945 Share with:

Women, Craft and Territory: Celebrating 8M in Asturias

News & events Women, Craft and Territory Celebrating 8M in Mieres, Asturias On 8 March, to mark International Women’s Day, the University of Oviedo will be hosting a gathering for women artisans at the Asociación Serondaya in Cenera (Mieres, Asturias). The event aims to create a space for exchange, learning and mutual support, while highlighting the value of artisanal work and reflecting on the relationship between craft, territory and the role of women. This initiative is part of the activities developed within the framework of the CULTURALITY project, as well as the Es|Art Research Group. As the institution’s #RuralEvent under CULTURALITY, it connects the broader European conversation on cultural and creative sectors with the everyday realities of women artisans in rural contexts. The morning session will be reserved for women artisans (prior registration required). It will offer an opportunity to present projects, exchange ideas and take part in short training sessions led by invited speakers from national and European craft organisations. The aim is to provide practical insights, whilst also creating a supportive environment for dialogue and collaboration. The morning will close in a more informal way, encouraging conversation and shared time together. From 16:00h onwards, the programme will open to the public. The afternoon session will begin with a roundtable discussion on the current challenges and opportunities facing the craft sector in the region. Participants will then collaborate in the live creation of a collective piece titled “El Ramu a la Artesanía”, inspired by local festive traditions and conceived as a symbolic gesture celebrating craft and community. The day will also include live music and a showcase of local artisanal work, bringing together different expressions of cultural life in the territory. You can access the full programme and practical information in the link bellow. No Images Found! Photography: (Photographer/s’ name/s) https://esartuniovi.com/8m_dia-internacional-de-la-mujer Share with: Previous Post

The Rural Spots Experience as a Research Tool

News & events The Rural Spots Experience as a Research Tool Subtitle Under a shared methodological framework developed by the Research Centre and Ecomuseum La Ponte, the project partners (Espacio Tormaleo, Region Värmland, Museum Nord, Consiliul Județean Maramureș, Applied Arts Scotland, the University of St Andrews and La Ponte) carried out the activity known as Rural Spot between 2024 and 2025. In total, 15 meetings were organised: five in Asturias (Spain), three in Scotland (United Kingdom), one in Värmland (Sweden), three in Maramureș (Romania) and three in Lofoten (Norway). Artisan demonstration in Botiza, Maramureș, Romania (Photograph by Maramureș County Council). The Rural Spots were conceived as meeting spaces for rural stakeholders connected to cultural heritage — both tangible and intangible — crafts, local entrepreneurship, community members and public bodies. Their primary aim was to develop a realistic diagnosis of the situation in the participating territories. These gatherings fostered the exchange of knowledge and experience, with particular attention given to good practices and innovative projects linked to cultural heritage and innovation, especially those focused on crafts and design that have made a significant contribution to sustainable development in its economic, social and environmental dimensions. Despite the geographical and cultural diversity of the territories involved, the meetings revealed shared realities and challenges. For example, a high level of women’s participation in the field of crafts was observed, both in leadership roles and in project implementation. An internal debate within the craft community concerning tourism development in rural areas also became evident, reflecting differing perspectives among practitioners. In this context, the need to raise public awareness of the cultural, technical and symbolic value of crafts was emphasized, with workshops and training activities identified as effective means of achieving this. Furthermore, the importance of researching built ethnographic and historical heritage and promoting its restoration was highlighted, in order to assess it properly and integrate it into sustainable tourism strategies. Presentation in Teverga, Asturias, Spain (Photograph by Research Centre and Ecomuseum La Ponte). Presentation on the Isle of Lewis, Scotland (Photograph by Applied Arts Scotland). Presentation in Brunskog, Värmland, Sweden (Photograph by Region Värmland). Working groups in Melbu, Norway (Photograph by Museum Nord). In conclusion, the Rural Spots proved to be an effective research tool within the framework of the project. The meetings enabled the analysis of synergies, the collection of contributions and a deeper understanding of diverse perspectives. At the same time, they laid the foundations for the development of territorial networks, fostering collaboration and complementarity among the various stakeholders involved. Text: Carmen Pérez Maestro (External evidence link) Share with:

CULTURALITY Participates in SECreTour Cluster Workshop

News & events CULTURALITY Participates in SECreTour Cluster Workshop on Cross Border Cultural Tourism Subtitle Ana María Fernández García, PI and Coordinator of CULTURALITY, took part last year in Beyond Borders, a European workshop on cross-border collaborations and macro-regional strategies for cultural tourism. The event was organised by the SECreTour project and hosted by the Università della Svizzera Italiana (USI) in Lugano on 23-24 October 2025. The workshop brought together representatives from the SECreTour consortium alongside invited experts from international organisations active in heritage and tourism. Discussions focused on key challenges faced by EU-funded initiatives working on cross-border cultural tourism, as well as on emerging models for cooperation and sustainable development across regions. Members of the SECreTour project cluster at a consortium meeting, including Ana María Fernández García, Principal Investigator (PI) of the CULTURALITY project. During the event, Ana María Fernández García presented the CULTURALITY project and its contribution to strengthening cultural heritage in rural and remote areas through creative tourism and sustainability-oriented approaches. Her presentation highlighted CULTURALITY’s commitment to generating innovative methodologies and fostering collaboration among European initiatives working in similar fields. The programme included thematic sessions with speakers from European and international bodies, a showcase of SECreTour pilot cases, and an open debate on future opportunities for cooperation. Participants also visited the SECreTour pilot site of Monte San Giorgio, a UNESCO natural area rich in cultural heritage. CULTURALITY’s participation reinforces its engagement with the cluster of projects recommended by the European Commission and strengthens synergies with other EU-funded actions dedicated to cultural tourism and heritage valorisation. For more information about SECreTour, you can visit their website: https://secretourproject.eu/ No Images Found! Photography: (Photographer/s’ name/s) https://secretourproject.eu/news/beyond-borders Share with: Previous Post