Benefitting country(ies): Haiti

Overview:

For several generations, the village of Noailles was home to communities of metal cutters, listed in the inventory of Haiti’s intangible cultural heritage. This form of expression was revived in the mid-twentieth century, using recycled drums as raw material. Cutting metal is the primary means of subsistence and source of resilience for the artisans and community members. Implemented by the UNESCO Office in Port-au-Prince, in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture and Communication of Haiti, this three-year project aims to ensure the continuity and sustainability of the art of metal cutting, which has been jeopardised by the security crisis in the country. The crisis has led to the displacement of most bearers from their places of life and work, the loss of skills, and the disappearance of distribution networks. The artisans and communities concerned will be represented by the Association of Artists and Craftspersons of Croix-des-Bouquets (ADAAC). Focusing on metal cutters displaced from the village of Noailles, this project seeks to provide them with the conditions and means to resume their activity, to strengthen social organization of the community, to build the capacities of the artisans, to support the development of new channels of distribution, and to promote the intangible cultural heritage of metal cutting in Haiti and abroad.

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