Local leaders discover artistic crafts

The network of local animators met on Tuesday in Saint-Martial-de-Valette, for a day of exchange and mutual understanding. This 4^e The meeting of the year was dedicated to the arts and crafts, a dynamic sector in Périgord-Limousin but still too little valued.

A network animated by the Park

For raise awareness more widely to sustainable development issues, the Park relies on a network of varied local actors, in direct contact with the public. Among them, many professionals in local education who lead the Park's activities with schoolchildren.

To develop and form this network, the Park offers regular and themed meetings. The objective of these days is both toto inform participants about local issues, but also to strengthen the cohesion. Through these trainings, the Park aspires to ensure that the environmental and social issues it supports are shared beyond its own actions. In the spring, food and then insects were at the heart of the discussions, while water-related issues were the subject of a meeting last June.

Art crafts in the spotlight

First^e The meeting of the year, which was held this Tuesday, allowed participants to familiarize themselves with the artistic professions and to identify their contours and challenges.

In the morning, the Park, the Institute of Occitan Studies and the Experimental Center for Arts and Crafts of Nontron (PEMA) recalled what is meant by the notion of " artistic careers " and recalled the importance of this economic sector in Périgord-Limousin. To date, it is estimated that more than 300 the number of professionals in the arts and crafts sector established in the territory, and 1500 the number of jobs linked to it. Historically, these activities are closely linked to raw materials available in the Park (wood, stone, earth, etc.) and the presence of numerous waterways, which power the forges and sawmills. Using a map, the 25 participants tried to locate the most emblematic local productions. This was also an opportunity to highlight how Crafts have marked local life and is now found in local toponymy*.

In the afternoon, participants had the pleasure of'exchange with 4 professionals in the arts and crafts, to learn more about their inspirations, their techniques and the challenges of their professions. This special meeting time gave rise to passionate discussions with Olivier Constantin, creator of chestnut furniture, Charlotte Peters, weaver and felt maker, Céline Giry, ceramist and Romuald Belisson, basket maker. Through these exchanges, everyone was able to question how the crafts could be integrated into their own activity and their discourse with the public.

A sector facing many challenges

Technical difficulties, resource availability, environmental issues, installation costs, profitability and public expectations... there are many challenges for professionals in the arts and crafts who must be creators, business leaders, traders and communicators all at the same time. Their approach, which generally favours short circuits and the development of local resources, fits perfectly into the vision of a territory labelled "Regional Natural Park".

In conjunction with the PEMA, the Park has therefore given itself the mission of supporting them, and promote artistic crafts, which represent a real potential for sustainable economic development from Périgord-Limousin and revitalization of town centers, through the installation of new professionals. Tuesday was a further step in this direction.

Two other meetings of the territory's facilitators are already planned for 2025: in January on the theme of sustainable development and on March 20 on intangible cultural heritage.

Would you like to be part of the network? Contact us: p.dufour@pnrpl.com
Learn more about the arts and crafts: https://www.pnr-perigord-limousin.fr/actions-du-parc/metiers-d-art/

* Toponymy: Set of place names in a region or language