The first Info Days of the M.A.R.K.A.T.O. – Maintaining And Revitalizing Knowledge And Traditional Occupations project took place on March 10 and 18 in Patras and Bari, marking the operational launch of a strategic cross-border cooperation initiative funded by the Interreg Greece–Italy Programme 2021–2027.
The two events represented a key moment of exchange and dialogue among institutions, artisans, cultural enterprises, and stakeholders, opening a concrete discussion on the challenges and opportunities related to the protection and revitalization of traditional crafts.
During the Info Day in Patras, organized by the Chamber of Achaia, the M.A.R.K.A.T.O. project was presented, outlining its objectives and perspectives, while Andreas Tsiliras, cultural manager and co-founder of Mosaic – Culture & Creativity, explored the connection between local identity and cultural development. This was followed by a contribution from Dr. Dimitrios Karagiannis, General Manager of the Achaia Development Agency, who highlighted the project’s potential to strengthen the economic and professional vitality of the city of Patras, fostering direct interaction with the audience.
In Bari, at Officina degli Esordi, the Info Day took place in a participatory setting and featured a rich program of interventions, offering an updated overview of Apulian artistic craftsmanship and its development prospects. Following the institutional greetings by Vincenzo Bellini, President of Puglia Creativa, Maristella Mantuano, Communication Officer of the Interreg Joint Secretariat, Onofrio Musco, Councillor for Productive Activities of the Municipality of Bisceglie, and Elvira De Giacomo of the Fondazione Matera Basilicata 2019, the project was presented in detail by Daniela Leo, Project Manager of Puglia Creativa. Subsequently, Becky Riches (Fondazione Matera Basilicata 2019) provided an in-depth overview of the mapping activities and the training methodology, outlining the operational path that will guide the involvement of artisans in the coming months. A particularly significant moment was the roundtable discussion on the state of Apulian artistic craftsmanship, featuring contributions from CONART, CNA Artistico Puglia, Confartigianato and Puglia Design Store. The event concluded with the testimony of papier-mâché artisan Deni Bianco, who conveyed the human and cultural value of traditional crafts.
The project will continue in April in Matera (Basilicata, Italy) with another key milestone: on April 15th, a new Info Day will take place, followed by the transnational meeting of all partners on April 16th and 17th. This represents an important opportunity not only to strengthen cooperation between Greece and Italy, but also to open the project to the local community.
