Craft School Cieszyn

By project PICOBELLO

Published on 24 March 2025

Poland

Śląskie

About this good practice

The Craft School was established in Zamek Cieszyn - Regional Design Centre. The school aims to inspire action, help discover skills, explore the potential of crafts, develop new business models and create a market offer based on crafts. The school is the result of a service design project by an interdisciplinary team. A participatory process, including surveys, interviews and workshops with stakeholders, helped to identify the needs of users and custodians of cultural heritage. This was preceded by an inventory of local craft traditions carried out by a university representative. The project team included service design specialists, design centre representatives, traditional craftspeople and new craftspeople. Thorough research into the needs of the participants formed the basis of the process. The school also developed an action strategy, operating model, communication strategy, curriculum and visual identity. The programme combined the teaching of traditional craft techniques in workshops with a business module covering entrepreneurship, modern marketing and product management. It also encouraged networking and collaboration between artisans and designers. The school targeted adults, mainly from this part of region, and the learning process lasted 10 months, equipping participants with practical skills and business knowledge to help them succeed in the modern marketplace.

Expert opinion

The Craft School, Regional Design Centre, based at Zamek Cieszyn, Poland, was created to revive traditional crafts, develop business skills, and foster innovation in heritage-based entrepreneurship. Developed through a participatory service design process, the school involved local artisans, designers, and researchers, and was grounded in a detailed inventory of regional craft traditions. The 10-month programme combined hands-on workshops in traditional techniques with modules on entrepreneurship, marketing, and product management. Funded by the Norwegian Financial Mechanism (PLN 1.1 million), the pilot edition attracted 270 applicants, with 50 participants enrolled. The school promotes the rediscovery of crafts, heritage appreciation, regional identity, and community-building. The good practice, blending craft education with business training, has strong transfer potential for European rural regions with rich craft traditions.

Arnault Morisson

Works at Interreg Europe Policy Learning Platform

Resources needed

The first pilot year of the school were funded under the project Cieszyn - a self-sufficient city, subsidised by the Norwegian Financial Mechanism 2014-2021 under the programme Local Development.
The cost was approximately PLN 1,100,000; 2-3 people were involved.

Evidence of success

The success of the Craft School is not easy to measure. A key indicator is the 270 applicants for the first edition, with 30 fully funded and 20 self-funded participants. Success lies in the development and testing of the model. Surveys show that participants value not only skills but also mentoring, community and cultural awareness. The school promotes heritage appreciation and regional identity. It is a complete educational service, combining craft practice with marketing and business skills.

Potential for learning or transfer

The School's offer will be developed and continued in the 2nd edition, which will start in September 2024. The School's design model has a very high transfer potential, requiring only adaptation to local conditions and stakeholders, and locally embedded research.
The way the school itself operates can also be multiplied, with the need to take into account local resources, local heritage and stakeholder needs.