At the end of 2025, dissemination activities of the ERASMUS+ project CrafDi “Digital Skills and Craft: Bringing Craftspeople Closer to the Global Market” took place in Latvia through several events aimed at craftspeople, home producers, young artists, and representatives of the creative industries. The events were held in Rēzekne, including a crafts fair and the young artists’ market “Neskarts.”
During the dissemination events, the project manager Iveta Balčūne introduced participants to the digital skills training materials, the online platform, and the practical tools developed during the project in cooperation with partners from Latvia, Greece, and Turkey. Demonstrations showed how craftspeople can use digital channels, such as social media, e-commerce platforms, and digital marketing tools: to present their work more effectively and reach wider audiences both in Latvia and internationally.
Craftspeople and home producers paid particular attention to the challenges they face in their daily work. Many participants acknowledged that:
- it is difficult to consistently create high-quality content for social media;
- they lack knowledge about product photography and video creation using smartphones;
- they are unsure how to set the right price for their products and reach international buyers;
- setting up an online shop or selling on platforms such as Etsy or Shopify seems complicated;
- time constraints are also a challenge, as craft activities are often combined with other jobs.
Some craftspeople also expressed interest in learning more practical digital marketing skills, such as creating advertisements on social media, understanding how platform algorithms work, and learning how to tell the story of their brand.
Project manager Iveta Balčūne emphasized: “Through our conversations with craftspeople, we see that they have enormous creative potential, but often lack the digital skills needed to show that potential to the world. The materials developed during the project help them understand how to use social media, photography, and other digital tools in a simple and practical way so that their craft products can reach new customers.”
Participants were encouraged to use the digital resources created within the project and to join the international network of craftspeople, which enables them to connect with creative entrepreneurs from other countries and further develop their activities.
Madara Bertina
Project Communication Specialist
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or The State Education Development Agency (hereinafter – VIAA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority (VIAA) can be held responsible for them.
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