The Director of the Regional Handicrafts Centre (CRAA) said the celebrations of the "European Craft Days" in the Azores, which began today in Ponta Delgada and Praia da Vitória, "consolidate the growing adherence of new artisans and the economic importance of the sector.”
 
Sofia Medeiros stressed the commitment of CRAA in "promoting exchanges between craft units and regional artisans" as well as the support to an "increasingly significant presence of Azorean handicrafts held abroad in terms of quantity and quality."
 
For the Director of CRAA, "the receptivity of regional handicrafts in Mainland Portugal is very encouraging and has contributed to an increase in sales, which renders this activity more profitable from an economic perspective and, thus, more attractive to those who wish to pursue it."
 
The Government of the Azores, through the Vice-Presidency, is marking the "European Craft Days" with a series of activities that include guided tours, workshops for children and the organisation of the urban craft markets in the cities of Ponta Delgada and Praia da Vitória.
 
Organised by the Regional Centre for Handicrafts, these activities began this morning at the Workshop of Capelas Museum, with a painting workshop of traditional ceramic toys. The activity is directed to children attending Free Time Occupation Centres (ATL).
 
On Saturday, April 2, there will be a bus tour to the north coast of São Miguel that includes guided tours to three craft production units, namely the Museum Workshop in Capelas, the Gorreana Tea Factory in Maia and the weaving workshop - "O Linho" by artisan Lourdes Lindo in Lombinha da Maia.
 
With this visit, CRAA aims to show the reality of handicrafts on the island of São Miguel as well as to disseminate products, techniques and creation spaces of local craft production units.
 
In the context of the celebrations of the European Craft Days, CRAA promotes the organisation of urban craft markets (MUA) in Ponta Delgada and Praia da Vitória, from April 1 to 4, featuring the participation of 16 artisans from Azores and two guests from Mainland Portugal.
 
The Ponta Delgada MUA feature artisans Catarina Castello, Inês Ribeiro, Odília Mancebo, Teresa Baganha, Randal Gladwin and Atalhada Cultural Centre (São Miguel), José Francisco Pereira (Faial) and Publicações Serrote (Lisbon).
 
In turn, the Praia da Vitória MUA will feature artisans Isabel Rosário, Manuela Sousa, Maria Aurélia Rocha, Samuel Castro, Francisco Rocha, Cookies & Friends and Lúcia Freitas (Terceira), Bruna Silva (Santa Maria) and the company Só Sabão (Viseu).
 
For the four days, there will be four workshops on tin works, macramé, typography and ceramics in Ponta Delgada market and on knitting, tile painting, handmade soap and leather works in Praia da Vitória market.
 
The "European Craft Days" are intended promote and develop handicrafts in Europe through the meeting of artisans out of their work environment, exhibitions, visits to training centres, workshops and theme tours.
 
This activity is coordinated by the Institut National des Métiers d'art in France, and involves the participation of 18 countries.
 
In Portugal, the "European Craft Days" will be marked in the Azores, Lisbon and Coimbra.