Preserving Handicrafts and Artisanal Knowledge in the New World

The world is constantly changing, part of this is the concept of handicrafts because they are being replaced with machinery and artisans are finding a challenge to adapt to the modern world's needs. This goes back to globalised markets, mass-production, and technological advancement. In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, a country with an economic vision that aims to progress, there is a current wave paying attention to the importance of preserving heritage. Even though the country is relatively new, specifically in terms of crafts, an understanding of the importance of identity and culture is taking place. Different crafts in this region will be considered, and accordingly, the material, tools, production methods, and techniques shall be measured. The research will include participatory design process to comprehend the types of crafts common in the region. This will take place by collaborating with organisations that cater to artisanal efforts. This will be run with the collaboration with ‘Turquoise Mountain,’ a non-profit artisanal organisation works in partnership with ‘Ministry of Culture/Heritage committee’ and “The Royal Institute of Traditional Arts (TRITA)”, an independent entity and a member of ‘Cumulus’ association. The organization focuses on preserving handicrafts by supporting artisans and providing training services in the field of traditional arts to make products that meet the requirements of nowadays. Part of the alliance takes place by researching, working with artisans for product design, and attending workshops. The purpose of this collaboration is mainly to understand methods that can be implemented for craft revival. This will eventually lead to suggesting a learning module that is applicable to various crafts to contribute to preserving crafts common in that area. That method will take into consideration the changes and continuous advancement currently taking place in the world today on a bigger scale.