Hands Across Generations Project

27/02/2026

✨ As we come to the end of a busy month for Hands Across Generations, we want to extend a big thank you to everyone who took part in the Hands Across Generations focus group in Ireland. Your insights, stories, and experiences made the session truly inspiring.

Together, we explored how we can learn from one another, strengthen community ties, and build a more connected future.
Your contributions will play an important role in shaping the next steps of this initiative. We’re grateful for your time, openness, and enthusiasm.

Stay tuned for updates on our findings and upcoming opportunities to get involved!💛🤝🇮🇪

16/02/2026

Within WP2 of the Hands Across Generations project, Espronceda – Institute of Art & Culture contributed to the national analysis of the traditional crafts sector in Spain.

Through a national survey and a focus group, we explored the current realities of the sector and identified key structural challenges affecting knowledge transmission and professional sustainability.

The findings highlighted fragile intergenerational transfer, fragmented training pathways, and the need to better connect traditional crafts with contemporary practices, digital tools and sustainable approaches.

These insights now feed into the development of a shared European curriculum 🌍, helping ensure that the project responds to real needs identified at national level.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to this important phase of the project — your perspectives truly matter 🤝

11/02/2026

Big updates from the H.A.G Project!

As the Lithuanian partners leading the research phase (WP2), we’ve finished collecting Sectoral Analyses on Heritage Craft Skills & Sustainability from across Europe. Right now, our team is busy with the "big puzzle", combining all the results from our partners into one final analysis. It’s a lot of information to process, but it’s giving us a very clear picture of what crafters actually need right now.

One thing that really stood out: most crafters aren't waiting around for the digital world to find them, they’re already there. Some of them have the websites and the Instagram pages. But we also saw how much pressure there is to be a master of a craft while also trying to be a full-time business owner and marketer. It’s a lot to balance, and it’s a "headache" we want to help fix.

Knowing this makes us even more ready for the next stage. We want to make sure the program we build is practical and actually makes life easier for the next generation of makers.

A huge thank you to everyone who shared their story with us. We’re excited to turn these numbers into real action! 🚀

02/02/2026

📍 Focus Group in Thessaloniki | Hands Across Generations

On Wednesday, 14 January 2026, the Hands Across Generations project held a focus group in Thessaloniki, organised by the Greek partner For Me - Handmade Goods, at WEHUB SEGE.

The focus group formed part of the National Analysis of the Traditional Crafts Sector in Greece (Deliverable T2.1) and brought together artisans, creative professionals and stakeholders from the traditional crafts ecosystem.

🔍 The results highlighted that while Greek traditional crafts have strong cultural value and development potential, the sector faces critical gaps in digital skills, entrepreneurship, sustainability implementation and structured intergenerational learning mechanisms.

✨ The insights gathered directly inform the design of the Hands Across Generations project, aiming to preserve intangible cultural heritage while strengthening the resilience and future of the crafts sector through intergenerational exchange.

30/01/2026

With the focus group organised at the “Stes Korues”, on 28 January 2026, in Nicosia Old Town, the analysis phase of WP2 of the Hands Across Generations project officially comes to an end for Cyprus 🇨🇾🇪🇺

A key moment that closes the territorial analysis on traditional Cypriot craftsmanship, with special attention to the local reality of Nicosia 🧵🏛️

For the Nicosia Tourism Board ( Visit Nicosia (Lefkosia), it was an experience of great value: a direct and authentic exchange with both the most experienced artisans and the new generations, capable of highlighting knowledge, stories, and visions for the future 🤝🌱

We were deeply impressed by the work these artisans have been carrying out for decades, a heritage that represents one of the pillars of the island’s socio-cultural richness 🛠️💛

In line with the objectives of Hands Across Generations, we hope that these traditions will not only never be lost, but will be properly valued and promoted, so that they can continue to live on and inspire future generations 🌿✨

09/01/2026

7th of January was a truly special day for the "Hands Across Generations" project. Project partners from Lithuania gathered a group of incredible masters and experts for Focus Group activity, and the energy in the room was inspiring.

The day was filled with meaningful conversations and deep sharing. We listened to artisans speak about the soul of their crafts, the weight of their experience, and the hurdles they face in a changing world. It was powerful to see that the real-life stories shared around the table perfectly mirrored the results from our national questionnaires, confirming that the path we are building together is exactly what the community needs.

Now, DVP‘s team is hard at work turning these insights into concrete tools and recommendations to support artisans across Europe.

Thank you to everyone who participated for your time, your honesty, and your heart. Together, we’re making sure traditional skills don’t just survive, they thrive. 🛠️🧡

26/10/2025