Damascus-Sana
Merging contemporary with heritage is an idea from which the Damar crafts incubator will soon see the light, with the aim of developing small handicrafts and traditional crafts to keep them from disappearing and to be an important tributary in supporting the national economy.
“The incubator is an integrated development, productive, educational and marketing project,” according to the craftsman and executive director, Louay Shuko, who explained in a statement to the delegate of SANA the importance of this experience in preventing the extinction of traditional crafts, training youth, especially the uneducated, and transforming their potential energies into productive by linking the incubator with the National Academy of Craft Arts and linking the creative. Those who graduate from it in industrial zones and in investment and social activities, and to adopt their inventions.
Shuko indicated that the incubator is one of the outputs of a scientific research that won the National Creativity Prize for the year 2014 entitled (Syrian heritage between the nobility of the past and the challenges of the present) presented by him and includes 85 craftsmen from the Council of Sheikhs of Kar for 36 original traditional crafts working on modernizing these crafts by introducing programming and modern sciences On handicrafts while preserving its heritage identity, as they represent the scientific pillars for training and qualifying youth and teaching them the principles of craft arts.
Sheikh Al-Kar Muhammad Fayez Mutit, a craftsman in electricity and mechanics, talked about his experience in integrating contemporary technologies with the oriental heritage and said, “I work in the (import substitution) section, that is, the manufacture of high-quality electrical devices coated with traditional oriental touches, including a personal tool sterilization device using ultraviolet rays, which was developed. To become a device used to sterilize banknotes, documents and personal items of various sizes, indicating that it is an economical, easy-to-use device that does not require sterilization materials, its energy consumption is low and versatile, in addition to developing a device for detecting counterfeiting of banknotes and official documents, developing electrical lighting devices such as (bulbs and clubbers) and others and wrapping them in clothing. Beautiful oriental heritage at half the cost of imported.
For his part, Sheikh Al-Kar Abd al-Rahman al-Homsi pointed out that his mission is to teach soap making techniques, cleaning and sterilization materials, cosmetics, dyes and everything related to this craft of the Soap Industry Association, indicating that the training is theoretical and practical with modern laboratory tools within a period of no less than two months so that the trainee can Practicing this craft in his home or in major factories according to a locally recognized academic certificate.
The incubator's tasks are not limited to education and production, but include marketing, promotion and development of craft research, according to the Executive Director, Shaku, who indicated that the incubator consists of several departments, namely the craftsmen's workshops, training centers, a cultural center, a commercial center for marketing and selling products, in addition to a center for craft research and a hall for festivals and exhibitions, indicating that there are Special associations to educate the families of the martyrs, and a special section for the wounded of the Syrian Arab Army, who are exempt from simple registration fees, in addition to providing them with immediate job opportunities.
According to Chekou, sales windows for products have been secured in Russia, Abkhazia, Iran, Tunisia and Algeria, which eases marketing obstacles for the craftsman and ensures the sale of products on international markets.
Mahasin Al-Awad