The project “Living Heritage of Traditional Crafts – Promotion and Inclusion” will bring together master artisans, museum specialists, young people, and the general public in Plovdiv on 14–15 March 2026 for a two-day program dedicated to traditional crafts as living intangible cultural heritage. The aim is to demonstrate that crafts are not only part of the past, but also a contemporary, creative, and inspiring element of modern lifestyles and local development.

The initiative is implemented by the Regional Centre for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in South-Eastern Europe under the auspices of UNESCO, in partnership with the Regional Ethnographic Museum – Plovdiv and the Regional Chamber of Crafts – Plovdiv. The project builds upon already established events such as the “Week of Traditional Crafts” and the “Craft Fair”, placing special emphasis on engaging children, school pupils, students, and families through education, hands-on experience, and direct contact with creative crafts.

During the two days, the International Fair Plovdiv (Hall 8) and the Regional Ethnographic Museum in the Old Town of Plovdiv will be transformed into spaces for learning by doing. In 12 workshops, visitors will be able to try traditional techniques such as working with wool and decorative techniques, weaving on small looms and on kori, woodcarving, painting on boxwood and on eggs, ceramics, stamp decoration, and other skills passed down from generation to generation. At the same time, 10 master artisans from Plovdiv will demonstrate various crafts in the museum courtyard—from knifemaking and artistic ceramics to the making of dolls, jewellery, and embroidery—introducing visitors to the details of their work.

The accompanying program includes screenings of ethnographic films dedicated to traditional crafts, as well as digital photography exhibitions. In these exhibitions, photography students and pupils will present their perspectives on the themes “Traditional Crafts in My City” and “Traditional Crafts: Knowledge, Skills, Creativity, Magic,” highlighting the living encounter between the craft master and the contemporary city.

On 14 March, a round table discussion titled “Traditional Crafts as Intangible Cultural Heritage” will also take place, bringing together museum specialists and experts from different cities. They will present good practices for safeguarding and promoting crafts, their connection to specific places, and their role in local development. During the event, a bilingual publication titled “Traditional Crafts as Intangible Cultural Heritage: Sharing Experience and Good Practices” will be presented, bringing together Bulgarian and international experience, as well as educational practices and policies supporting traditional crafts.

The project “Living Heritage of Traditional Crafts – Promotion and Inclusion” aims to establish Plovdiv as a center for sharing experience and exchanging knowledge in the field of intangible cultural heritage, while stimulating the creation of a network of artisans, museums, institutions, and organizations. Through education, creativity, and active participation, the project presents traditional crafts as a living, contemporary, and meaningful heritage that strengthens local identity and offers new opportunities for cultural and economic development.

The project is implemented in the period September 2025 – March 2026 under Project BG-RRP-11.021-0003 “Together Again”, funded by the European Union – NextGenerationEU, through the Recovery and Resilience Facility under Bulgaria’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan. It will be widely promoted through the partners’ online channels as well as through national and regional media.