Meet the Homo Faber Fellowship duos offering a brighter future for endangered crafts in their countries

When the jury made their selection of 23 duos from 123 applications, they were acutely aware of those who presented rare crafts in need of perpetuating and safeguarding for the future. Transmission is at the heart of the survival of endangered crafts whose futures rely on skilled masters passing on their knowledge and techniques to a new generation. Too often, financial and practical constraints prohibit a master artisan from taking on an apprentice in their workshops. With this in mind, Homo Faber Fellowship has a unique opportunity to boost forgotten or undervalued skills and help to give them a brighter future. For the second edition, the jury identified a duo reviving marionette making in the United Kingdom, the last master artisan practising embroidery in Poland looking to revive the craft in her country and an Irish stone carver keen to give a self-taught craftsperson the rare chance to learn a craft so closely linked to Ireland’s history. Below we delve deeper into their stories.

Putting marionette making back into the spotlight

Oliver Hymans & Ash Appadu, puppet making, United Kingdom

Oliver Hymans is an award-winning puppetry artist and director from the United Kingdom. He has worked internationally across four continents, directing and designing puppetry in theatre, opera, film, circus and music video. His fellow Ash Appadu is a designer and puppet maker who has been passionately focused on the craft for the last two years. Soon after graduating in Fine Art, they began their journey as an intern at the prestigious Little Angel Theatre where they debuted their first children’s puppet show. “As a Fine Art graduate, I have a conceptual desire to make work exploring different intersections of being. As someone who experiences the world through a multitude of lenses, I wish to explore my experiences, specifically, as a Trans person of colour. I’ve found that puppetry exists as an incredibly powerful art form,” Ash says of their decision to enter the world of puppetry.

From the 350 year-old Punch & Judy marionette puppets, originally performed on the streets of London’s Covent Garden, to the latest blockbuster theatre productions such as War Horse, the British puppetry sector is one of the most exciting areas of innovation within the Performing Arts. “However, the lack of marionette shows means that this once important form of puppetry risks dying out completely,” explains Oliver who has passionately advocated for the craft to ensure it is brought back from the precipice and refreshed for a 21st century audience. “This wonderful form of puppetry is now listed as ‘endangered’ as there are no formal training routes and there are just as few opportunities to make and perform string puppet shows due to financial barriers, lack of skilled artists and the current changes in trends,” he declares.

Unable to access marionette carving due to time pressures, limited resources and lack of adequate opportunities, Ash jumped at the chance to gain knowledge and skills by training with Oliver who has previously been mentored by some of the best marionette makers in the UK. “I share his aim to make sure the legacy of this craft continues. My objective is to become a skilled marionette maker, discover ways to integrate it into my practice and have a job making marionettes for performances in the future,” explains Ash of their forward looking vision which also includes an idea to incorporate 3D printing into the craft.

Reviving the ancient Irish craft of stone carving

Helen O’Connell & Finn Conlon, stone carving, Ireland

As a child Helen O’Connell loved making things, but after studying English literature at university she thought she would go on to write. However a trip to Russia sparked an interest in sculpture and she soon became determined to learn stone carving. After training in Ireland she went on to learn from marble masters in Italy and Portugal, before “coming full circle” and ending up back in her homeland carving local Irish limestone.

Her fellow Finn Conlon is a self-taught stone carver who recently completed a diploma in architectural stone carving in London. His background is in graphic design and he has been a trained art teacher since 2012. He first got hooked on stone sculpture in 2009 but was reticent to pursue it as a professional career until he furthered his knowledge through technical studies.

Finn chose the Fellowship for the opportunity to hone his skills in form, mould making, carving, dressing of stone, networking and professional practice. “Understanding the way the stone carving craft works in Ireland, participating in it and sharing in the stone carving experience will allow me to be part of the continuum of the ancient craft of stone carving,” says Finn.

“Although Ireland has a rich ancient history of stone carving this was a skill that was being neglected when I began my journey into stone sculpture,” explains Helen. When she had completed her academic studies in 2001 and was searching for somewhere to learn how to carve stone in Dublin, it was extremely difficult. “The art colleges did not want to engage with this material due to the awkward complications of dust and noise entailed,” says Helen. She spent a long day asking in several small stone yards if they could teach her but had no luck. In a fortuitous twist of fate she spotted a small sign advertising a course in stone carving in the northwest of Ireland. “It was the ideal way to learn stone sculpture, by doing, by working alongside more experienced practitioners. Unfortunately, this is no longer an opportunity available to aspiring stone carvers. In Ireland there really is no context in which to learn this skill,” she laments.

Creating a future for embroidery in Poland

Alicja Stańska & Alicja Kozłowska, embroidery, Poland

Polish craftswoman Alicja Stańska learned embroidery as a little girl from her father, and enjoyed practising it during her leisure time until the day she decided to change career and make it her profession at the age of 28. Since then, she has mastered both traditional techniques and very sophisticated Lunéville embroidery. Speaking of her passion Alicja says: “My goal as a professional is to break barriers in embroidery, training a young embroiderer to build future designs that, I believe will innovate our craft, is invaluable to me.” Alicja Stańska is the only master embroider currently practising the craft in Poland.

Her fellow Alicja Kozłowska is an award-winning Poland-based artist and designer who recently graduated from Domestic Design at the School of Form University. Her goal is to keep the craft of embroidery fresh and current, while preserving the tradition of craftsmanship. She draws inspiration from everyday life, trying to increase awareness of textile art and embroidery. “There are not many opportunities to learn embroidery in Poland. Going to France or Italy for training is expensive and is currently beyond my student capabilities,” explains Alicja of her dilemma in finding the next step in her path to becoming a professional artisan.

The two Alicjas met during a short masterclass with Homo Faber to Uzbekistan last year and from the first meeting, they started thinking about working together. “Passing on knowledge to the young and talented Alicja is an opportunity for me to share the heritage of embroidery and have someone to collaborate with in my country,” says Alicja Stańska of her choice to participate in the Homo Faber Fellowship.

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Homo Faber Fellowship is a 7-month sponsored professional integration programme designed for duos of master artisans and craft graduates, proposed by Homo Faber NextGen. The second edition begins for the fellows in September 2024 with a one-month creative and entrepreneurial masterclass taught by ESSEC Business School and Passa Ao Futuro at the International University of Art in Venice. The participating fellows will then spend six months in the workshops of their paired master artisans across Europe. During these months spent in the workshop together, the 23 duos will be challenged to design and handcraft a co-creation inspired by a theme chosen by the programme’s supporting partner Jaeger-LeCoultre. The Fellowship is developed in partnership with local members of the Foundation’s network. homofaber.com

The Michelangelo Foundation for Creativity and Craftsmanship is a non-profit institution based in Geneva, which champions contemporary craftspeople worldwide with the aim of promoting a more human, inclusive and sustainable future. The Foundation seeks to highlight the connections between craft and the wider arts and the design world. Its mission is to both celebrate and preserve craftsmanship and its diversity of makers, materials and techniques, by increasing craft’s everyday recognition and its viability as a professional path for the next generations. The Foundation presents Homo Faber, a cultural movement centred on creative artisans worldwide. Its signature projects are education programmes for the next generations, an international biennial celebration and an online guide. homofaber.com

michelangelofoundation.org

Supporting partner of Homo Faber Fellowship:

Jaeger-LeCoultre: The Watchmaker of Watchmakers™

Since 1833, driven by an unquenchable thirst for innovation and creativity, and inspired by the peaceful natural surroundings of its home in the Vallée de Joux, Jaeger-LeCoultre has been distinguished by its mastery of complications and the precision of its mechanisms. Known as the Watchmaker of Watchmakers™, the Manufacture has expressed its relentlessly inventive spirit through the creation of more than 1,400 different calibres and the award of more than 430 patents. Harnessing 190 years of accumulated expertise, La Grande Maison’s watchmakers design, produce, finish and ornament the most advanced and precise mechanisms, blending passion with centuries-old savoir-faire, linking the past to the future, timeless but always up with the times. With 180 skills brought together under one roof, the Manufacture creates fine timepieces that combine technical ingenuity with aesthetic beauty and a distinctively understated sophistication.jaeger-lecoultre.com

Institutional partners:

Asociación Contemporanea de Artes y Oficios (ACAO) is an association that promotes both traditional and contemporary Spanish crafts. They seek to protect Spanish craftsmanship, and use it to foster the development of culture, history and art and boost its economic benefits on the environment and tourism industry. Their main targets are to ensure an environment in which Spanish craftspeople can thrive and to aid them in having further commercial reach in Spain and internationally espanaartesana.com

The B&M Theocharakis Foundation for the Fine Arts and Music aims to encourage the public to enter into a wide-ranging and interdisciplinary dialogue with music and the visual arts. Founded in 2004, this non-profit organisation promotes the work of Greek artists at home and abroad, with support for networking, and maintains a directory of artisans. The foundation sponsors educational and academic research, and its cultural centre in the heart of Athens hosts exhibitions, concerts, lectures and educational activities as well as a café and art shop. thf.gr

Established in 1986, the Centro de Formação Profissional para o Artesanato e Património (CEARTE), is a vocational training centre in the craft sector, with its headquarters based in Coimbra. CEARTE masterminds training projects all over Portugal, supporting creativity, skills and talent development. Respecting and upholding time-honoured techniques and heritage skills, the organisation also places a focus on restoration and patrimony, as well as innovation. cearte.pt

The Cyprus Handicraft Service (CHS) is the Republic of Cyprus governmental body under the Deputy Ministry of Culture, responsible for promoting and preserving the rich heritage of Cypriot craftsmanship while enhancing its competitiveness through research and design innovation. The CHS designs and implements policies, to ensure that the local know-how in craft making will be preserved and passed on to the new generation of artisans. cyprushandicraft.gov.cy

Design & Crafts Council Ireland is the national agency for craft and design in Ireland, we support designers and makers to develop their businesses in a sustainable way, and advocate for the societal benefits of craft and design. DCCI's activities are funded by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment via Enterprise Ireland. DCCI currently has 64 member organisations and over 3,500 registered clients. dcci.ie

Institut pour les Savoir-Faire Français (The French Savoir-Faire Institute) is a non-profit association founded in 1889. Their work is recognized by the French Ministry of Economics, Finance and Industrial and Digital Sovereignty, the French Ministry of Culture, and the French Ministry of National Education, and Youth. They conduct a support policy for fine crafts as well as Living Heritage Companies. The Institute actively participates in the promotion of French savoir-faire at national and international levels institut-savoirfaire.fr

The Norwegian Folk Art and Craft Association is a non-governmental organization that has over 350 local member groups across Norway. Since its inception in 1910, the association has been steadfast in its mission to champion traditional Norwegian handicrafts, perpetuate craft skills, and spread the joy of creating. In 2014, it achieved UNESCO accreditation. A core aspect of their work involves teaching craft skills, with numerous courses offered by local member groups nationwide. husflid.no

Nów. New Craft Poland is an association of original craft studios from all over Poland. The unique pieces created by their members are of the highest quality of workmanship. Their objective is to spread knowledge about contemporary Polish craft and promote it at home and abroad. They represent the interests of their members while dealing with public institutions and business. nownowerzemioslo.pl

The Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust (QEST) is a charity that transforms the careers of talented and aspiring makers by funding their training and education, creating pathways to excellence and strengthening the future of the UK’s craft sector. To date, QEST has awarded more than £6million to almost 800 individuals working across the UK in 130 different craft disciplines. While their Crafting Tomorrow programme inspires a new generation of makers through key partnerships. qest.org.uk

Academic partners:

ESSEC Business School, founded in 1907, is one of the world’s top management schools and holds the “triple crown” accreditation from EQUIS, AACSB and AMBA. With 7,221 students; a faculty comprised of 169 full-time professors, 23 of which are emeritus professors, in France and Singapore, recognized for both the quality and influence of their research; a wide range of management training programmes; partnerships with the world’s best universities; and a network of 65,000 alumni, ESSEC continues to foster a tradition of academic excellence and a spirit of openness in the fields of economics, social sciences and innovation. In 2005, ESSEC opened a campus in Asia. ESSEC’s operations in Asia Pacific, strategically located in Singapore, present the perfect foothold for ESSEC to be part of the vibrant growth of Asia and to bring its expertise to the expanding region. Additionally, in 2017 ESSEC opened a new campus in Rabat, Morocco. ESSEC’s international expansion allows students and professors to study and understand the economic forces at work in the different regions of the world. essec.edu

Passa Ao Futuro founded in 2016 by Astrid Suzano and Fatima Durkee, is a cultural initiative non-profit association that seeks out craftspeople in Portugal working with traditional techniques. It strives to support these communities and people through the documentation and preservation of their tacit knowledge, the development of case specific social, environmental and economic sustainability programmes, with a focus on the celebration and passing on of skills. The association activates this network through several initiatives including residencies, summer schools, exhibitions, social innovation and sustainability training. It supports the crafts as a catalyst for a regenerative future. passaaofuturo.com

Creative residency:

Since 1969, UIA Università Internazionale dell’Arte (International University of Art), located at Villa Hériot, is the most prestigious professional training centre in the field of cultural heritage restoration and conservation in Venice. Since its foundation, UIA has been a point of reference for education and training in the field of art, and a place of experimentation between the world of academia and the world of work. uiavenezia.com

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