Press release – embargoes until Tuesday 7 October 2008, 12 noon
The Faeroes at the centre of Canadian-European craft network
The Faeroese development organisation Utoyggjafelagid is today playing host to its partners from Canada, Ireland, Norway, Northern Ireland and Iceland in an important project steering group meeting at hotel Færøyar.
Local companies will be helped to participate in an international network of craft businesses supported and advised by the successful Canadian Economuseé Network. In Canada, around 50 such craft businesses are going from strength to strength, supported by a central team of experts. These experts, financed by European Union funding are now in Torshavn.
In remote islands off the Canadian east coast the project is supporting a group of artisans, in Northern Ireland a specialised jewellery maker is participating, in Donegal in Ireland, a local producer of tweed will become part of the Network, Iceland is adding a craft company designing and making fashion items like hand bags and belts from specially treated fish skins. In Western Norway a producer of hand made shoes, a builder of traditionally built rowing boats, a producer of cured meats and a team making old fashioned wooden barrels will join the group.
Says Steering Group Chair, Norwegian Councillor Helge Njaastad: “This unique opportunity to use modern technology to bring traditional crafts and designs into larger markets will help retain jobs and hopefully help local companies to grow.”
Local partnership leader, Olga Biskopstø adds: “ I hope to see Faeroese craft products offered for sale in Quebec City and in Bergen, thanks to this project.”
NORWEGIAN-LEAD INITIATIVE
The six-region, six-language project lead by Hordaland County Council in Western Norway, comprises representatives from Nýsköpunarmiðstöð á Hornafirði in Iceland, Imeall Tra Teo in Donegal in the Republic of Ireland, Utoyggjafelagid in the Faeroes, Imeall Tra Teo in Northern Ireland and the International Economusee Network Society, based in Quebec.
NOTE FOR EDITORS
The Economusee Northern Europe project, led by Norwegian Hordaland County Council, costing in the region of Euro 1.6m will receive around Euro 800,000 in grant from the European Community under the Interreg Northern Periphery Programme. The project was launched in Quebec City in April and will run until the end of 2010.
