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Local branding based on traditional crafts and cultural heritage as a tool to reach sustainable development and comunity inclusion and participation

Topics

  1. Branding
  2. Local Economic Development
  3. local comunity inclusion and participation

Main policy issue to be addressed in relation to the selected topics

The idea is to build, in a participative way, a promotional strategy that take as a starting point a local product/patrimony, such as, in our case the Arraiolos Rug, one of the most typical product of the art of embroidery in Portugal, including other local qualities, such as landscape, nature, cultural heritage, regional products and gastronomy. The overarching aim of the initiative is to create a purposeful, driven linked network of collaborating small to medium sized cities across Europe, that face the same issues, the need to build strategic plans that can stimulate economy, create added value for local products and services and can break through existing restrictions. On the other hand, it is fundamental that this place branding process is seen as a democratic community-building exercise, a colective project, anchored among residents within the political framework, because branding processes are about people and associations who relate to a place through how they feel and think about it. So one of our goals is to build a collective project that is legitimized by all members of the local society in which each feel involved, starting with the craftmen/women, but also with teachers, students, local authorities, entrepreneurs, etc. We consider local branding crucial, because towns and cities are currently in “territorial competition” in the actual economy ando must find a way to stand out and find their place in this global economy.

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Useful Information

Arraiolos a small municipality of Alentejo region, with near 7400 inhabitants, is the place of origin of the oldest production of embroidered rugs in Portugal, "Arraiolos Rugs".
Since the 16th century it is a unique cultural manifestation of artisanal confection, which took the name of the land and gained national and international expression, despite the problems it is facing.
Arraiolos known as "Land of Rugs", cause of its strong roots in popular culture assumes such importance in the local context that its preservation, safeguarding and continuity are essential for economic development. Indeed, several factors, including the current free market economy, have contributed to weaken and depreciate handicrafts, and has been strongly felt in the production of Arraiolos Rugs, in which the embroiderers, central figures of the tradition, receive scarce income for their work. Given the imminent risk of not having a sustained continuity of transmission of traditional know-how through generational regeneration in the confection and production of Arraiolos Rugs, the negative repercussion that this twilight may have on culture, society, economy and consequent local tourist offer.
For these reasons, we need to build a collective project, around the Arraiolos Rugs, in which all sectors of society take an active and participatory role, otherwise there is a risk that a large part of the local economy that is based on this activity may collapse.

Last modified:

27 March 2019

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Candidate ID

Institution: 
Municipality of Arraiolos
City: 
Arraiolos
Country: 
Portugal
Type of region: 
Less developed