Craft Product Development in Samtskhe –Javakheti Region

The project "Traditional Crafts - for the Employment of young people of Samtskhe-Javakheti and regional development" implemented by the financial support of the Children and Youth Development Fund main aim was to enhance entrepreneurship skills amongst the crafts makers and their young apprentices in Samtkhe-Javakheti Region. The project implied strengthening product development and business skills through trainings and workshops, the creation of new product lines, and marketing opportunities. This initiative is based on the experience accumulated by the Georgian Heritage Crafts Association in the development of products in the regions of Georgia, the creation of new collections, and using all this for social purposes.

The task of the project was, on the one hand, to promote the development and marketing of young people's products on the basis of traditional craft workshops in the territory of Samtskhe-Javakheti region, to introduce the master-apprenticeship model, and on the other hand, to create a network of social shops of local craft products near cultural heritage sites in the territory of Georgia. In order to achieve these goals, the project envisaged conducting product development trainings for young people, jointly creating the initial designs of new lines and setting up (equipment, creation of promotional materials), and implementing a sales facility in the territory of the Vardzia Historical-Architectural Museum-Reserve.