Young Craft Booster is a three-year project (2023-2026) co-funded by the European Union, run by three partners from Italy, Spain and Ireland: Fondazione Cologni dei Mestieri d'Arte, Asociación Contemporánea de Artes y Oficios and Design & Crafts Council Ireland; with the support of an associated partner from Switzerland: Michelangelo Foundation for Creativity and Craftsmanship.

The Young Craft Booster enables these organisations to pursue their mission in supporting craftspeople: over the course of three years, 15 duos, each composed of a new talent and a master artisan, will embark in an unforgettable journey, developing their skills and competencies. The new talents will work alongside the masters in their workshops, which are all located in the participanting countries: Italy, Spain and Ireland.

Lead beneficiary

Fondazione Cologni dei Mestieri d’Arte (FC) is a private non-profit organisation established in Milan by Franco Cologni, its President, in 1995.
Fondazione Cologni’s founding purpose is to accomplish a “new Renaissance” of the artistic crafts and rescue the métiers d’art from the threat of extinction. Its initiatives are addressed to the young and to the training of the next generations of artisans. The Cologni Foundation promotes, supports and carries out a number of cultural, scientific and educational programmes. It is also involved in many initiatives with prominent schools and higher education institutions: Università Bocconi, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Polytechnic University, IULM University, Creative Academy and Domus Academy. Fondazione Cologni dei Mestieri d’Arte is the lead beneficiary of the YCB project. 

Design & Crafts Council Ireland (DCCI) is the national agency for craft and design in Ireland: they support designers and makers to develop their businesses in a sustainable way, and advocate for the societal benefits of craft and design. DCCI's activities are funded by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment via Enterprise Ireland. DCCI currently has 64 member organisations and over 3,500 registered clients.

Asociación Contemporanea de Artes y Oficios (ACAO) is an association that promotes both traditional and contemporary Spanish crafts. They seek to protect Spanish craftsmanship, and use it to foster the development of culture, history and art and boost its economic benefits on the environment and tourism industry. Their main targets are to ensure an environment in which Spanish craftspeople can thrive and to aid them in having further commercial reach in Spain and internationally.

Associated partner

The Michelangelo Foundation for Creativity and Craftsmanship is a non-profit institution based in Geneva, which champions contemporary craftspeople worldwide with the aim of promoting a more human, inclusive and sustainable future. The Foundation seeks to highlight the connections between craft and the wider arts and the design world. Its mission is to both celebrate and preserve craftsmanship and its diversity of makers, materials and techniques, by increasing craft’s everyday recognition and its viability as a professional path for the next generations. With their experience and expertise in the field of craftsmanship promotion and education, Michelangelo Foundation will provide an important support to the project: they will help the partners to select the right candidates to join the YCB project, connecting them with their international network, and give great support with the educational content development.

The Michelangelo Foundation’s support is a contribution in kind. They are not receiving funding from the EU Commission, however their help is key for the project.