Fifteenth International Conference on Interdisciplinary Social Sciences

Abstract

Traditional arts and crafts can be considered as the bridge between our material and non-material cultural heritage. Therefore, the destinies of traditional arts and crafts and the soil that “grew” them are intertwined. Sadly, the accelerating disappearance of hand-crafted objects in the era of mass manufacturing is undeniably apparent. Ensuring the survival and continued development of these arts is not a simple matter because the economic, cultural, and social environment for these goods has all dramatically changed in the past hundred years. We argue that we should not only preserve traditional arts and crafts in museums. There needs to be a healthy “eco-system” for them to continue to exist in society as functional objects as well as cultural symbols. The most convincing strategy is to make them a driving force behind the revitalization and development of marginalized rural communities. Design can play a crucial role in linking traditional arts and crafts with economic development because of its enormous power to communicate at a massive scale. This paper reviews the current status of traditional arts and crafts in three communities. It discusses the research team’s collaborations between designers and community leaders and presents a few design concepts. It provides a list of suggestions based on the above analysis for designers who are interested in working as the link between business and traditional arts and design.