Craft—Tradition and Invention

This book investigates the history and current practice of traditional crafts, and how they may be repurposed for application in contemporary Technical and Vocation Education and Training. The chapters pave a handmade pathway from traditional craft to their revival, reflecting on the cultural heritage held by handmade objects such as Persian tiles and Indian rural crafts or a Malagasy musical instrument, or recycling, recrafting and redesign of clothing and textiles. Drawing on multidisciplinary perspectives, the book explores the relationship between place and culture and the need to recognise the vital role of the crafts in poverty reduction, sustainable growth and their application into contemporary societies.

The suite of books on Educating in the Crafts—The Global Experience address the need for crafts artisans, educators, NGOs, educational institutions and global economies to develop a holistic, and multi-disciplinary outlook. They negotiate and navigate the rapid changes and requirements in the job market in which skills such as flexibility, innovative thinking and entrepreneurship are essential. They also explore the challenges associated with maintaining bounded cultural identities and expressions of difference in an ever-changing, fragmented and fluid world.