Acronym

CraftNet

NUMBER

PBU2/0771/18

Project type

Micro-project

STATUS

Completed

THEMATIC OBJECTIVE

HERITAGE

PRIORITY

1.1 Promotion of local culture and history

PARTNERSHIP

PL-BY

LEAD BENEFICIARY

Municipal Center for Culture, Sports and Tourism in Korycin (Podlaskie Voivodeship, Poland)

BENEFICIARY

Viliejka District Executive Committee (Minsk Oblast, Belarus)

Project description

Polish Korycin Municipality and Belarussian Viliejka District share an outstandingly diverse and attractive common cultural heritage of great value, which can become a bridge for the integration of local communities. After a long time, a lot of similarities still can be found in the customs, traditions, rituals, and all cultural heritage on both sides of the border. But over time the old traditional arts, habits, and handicraft techniques, if not preserved and nurtured, can be forgotten.

The project CraftNet is designed to save this distinguish common history. Its overall goal is to support the Polish-Belarusian borderland as an attractive tourism destination. The activities will impact two cultural facilities enhancing tourist value and awareness of the border area strengthening ties in tourism. The House of Crafts in Vileyka (Belarus) will establish a Weaving Workshop and Museum, organize a large Craft Festival. The Culture Heritage Park in Milewszczyzna (Poland) will host the Pottery Atelier and organize Craft Heritage Day. Both partners will also provide activities demonstrating the potential of a given region and good practices via craft workshops in Korycin Commune as well as a joint study visit to the Minsk Region. The Cross-border Craft Heritage Governance Workshop for the representatives of borderland institutions will facilitate an in-depth exchange on preserving and promoting the local traditions. A unique “sense of place” effect attracting various types of tourists will be approached by designing the Catalog of Borderland’s Craft of Weaving Heritage and a map promoting the Korycin Culture Park Milewszczyzna with its attractions.

As a result of these activities, a network of Borderland Craft Heritage will be established. This long-lasting cross-border structure will help local craftsmen, guests, and people of culture reciprocal cooperation in the tourism sector and raising the number of visitors on the Polish-Belarussian borderland.