Norsk håndverksinstitutt

Norway

Contact: +47 61 05 76 00; 61 05 76 03; 991 50862
Postal address: Maihaugvegen 1 2609 Lillehammer
Geographic Coverage of NGO’s expertise: Czechia, Denmark, Georgia, Hungary, Iceland, Latvia, Sweden, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

URL: https://www.handverksinstituttet.no



Year of creation: 1988

Safeguarding measures:

- identification, documentation, research (including inventory-making)
- preservation, protection
- transmission, (non-)formal education
- revitalization



Main areas of work related to the Convention:

1- Register of Craftsmen: Since 1987 the NHU has been responsible fDr a national Register of craftsmen/women. Today the register of Norwegian Craftsmen/women is searchable on the web. It provides craftsmen and craftswomen with an excellent marketing channel and gives documentation of their activities/skills. The register secures historical important information about craftsmen/women. 2- Projects Concerning the transfer and documentation of crafts skills and knowledge: Through a large number of projects we ensure that tradistional crafts are passed on. A particular emphasis is given to protecting crafts skills and knowledge which are in danger of dissapearing. NHU has developed a spesific competence building model to pass on actionborne knowledge. The model is based on the traditional master/apprentice relationship, where a master is responsible for training an apprentice. In the work we also have a person who is responsible for documentation to ensure that the craft skills are documented for the future. NHU is also resopnsible for a number of projects outside Norway. 3- Secreteriat for rare and protected Crafts: The main task of the secretariat for rare and Protected Crafts is to maintain, strenghthen and pass on crafts which lead to an apprenticeship sertificat. Finding enterprises which can provide teaching can be particularly challenging for crafts with few or old practiconers. 4- Craft scholarships: NHU organize a tree years scholarsip scheme for craftsmen. The scholarship provides a possibility for in-depth training for professionals above the crafts and apprentice certificate level.

Relevant projects and initiatives

Norsk Handverksutvikling – NHU (Norwegian Crafts Development – NHU) in Lillhammer works on behalf of the Norwegian Ministry of Culture and Church Affairs to protect, preserve, pass on, and develop crafts as skills and knowledge, as a form of expression and as a profession, both in Europe and in Asia.

Objectives

To protect, preserve, pass on and develop crafts as skills and knowledge, as expression and as a profession. NHUs aims to maintain and strenghthen crafts that are concidered to be rare and worthy of protection.

Cooperation

One of the main tasks of NHU is cooperation and identifying practiconers of commmunities, groups and intangible heritage practiconers within a wide variety of endangered crafts. NHU has a policy of taking both male and female traditions into consideration and is at present looking into the possibility of identifying and strengthen crafts within traditional ethnic minorities. Through the whole history of NHU working with local communities and practiconers from the whole country has been the policy. Thus projects have been focused on both the coastal culture, the farming culture and the urban culture. Projects have been focused on activities connected with traditional activities in the nature (both inland and coastal) and a wide range of traditional handicraft.
Top