Anatolia, the vast region spanning most of mainland Turkey, was once home to ancient civilizations; today, its craftspeople carry expert knowledge, which is passed from generation to generation.
These ancient skill sets are being increasingly forgotten, replaced by cheap factory-made products. We believe that products, created with care and skill, are more sustainable, pay fairer wages to those who create them, and carry implicit cultural value.
We’re inviting designers from all across the European Union to get to know five very different Anatolian crafts and reinterpret one (or more) of them for a contemporary audience. 10 designers, authors of the selected design proposals, will be invited to Turkey to join the craftspeople in their workshops and create product prototypes, which will then be exhibited in Istanbul and promoted throughout the EU and Turkey.
Get to know more about the Anatolian crafts and the craftspeople:
The project was initiated by Turkey Design Council, an NGO that aims to contribute to Turkey's social and economic development with design-oriented approaches. It promotes young designers, engages with the wider public to share awareness of the importance of design, underlines the values of designing for all individuals, and strives to build communities.
For the project “From Ancient Anatolian Crafts to Contemporary Designs”, financed by the Grant Scheme for Common Cultural Heritage: Preservation and Dialogue between Türkiye and the EU-II (CCH-II), it collaborates with partners Brumen Foundation, Slovenia, and Traditional Arts Association, Turkey.
All various kinds of creatives, students and professionals, teams and individuals, are welcome to apply! This includes industrial designers, graphic designers, fashion designers, textile designers, product designers, furniture designers, interior designers, jewelry designers among others, as well as artists, makers, and other creatives.
We’re looking for creatives that are passionate about handcrafted products, who feel they have a story to tell with their design proposals, and would like to work closely with experienced master craftspeople in transforming their designs into tangible prototypes.
Participants must be at least 18 years old at the time of application, have residency in the EU or an EU member state (excluding Turkey), and must be able to travel for five days in the period between 14 February and 29 April 2022 (COVID-19 restrictions permitting).
Participants can choose between two categories.
Applicants entering their design proposals to the professional category must provide their:
Monetary compensation: 1500 EUR
Applicants entering their design proposals to the student category must provide their:
Monetary compensation: 750 EUR
One winner from each category will be selected for each craft: one from the student category, one from the professional category.
It is also possible to apply as a team. Each team must select its representative, who will complete the application, will speak for the team, and will travel to Turkey in the event of their design proposal being selected.
For a team to apply to the student category, every team member must provide valid student ID (uploaded as a single PDF).
If students wish to compete in the professional category, they can choose to apply their design proposals as professionals.
What we’re looking for are contemporary reinterpretations: using the traditional technique and materials, we invite you to think up design proposals that might find a way into the everyday life of people around the world. The concepts should differ significantly from the designs already produced and demonstrated in the short films and should show innovation in their usability and aesthetics.
Upon reading the descriptions of the five Anatolian crafts and viewing the documentaries, you’re invited to pick one (or more) crafts that you connect with most – no previous experience with the crafts in question is required.
The design proposal’s dimensions and complexity should take into account that the production process will only take four days. You can find more detailed instructions for the size and material composition guidelines in the Crafts section.
Design proposal presentations must include:
This image should include perspectives, orthographic views for 3D objects, specifying materials and dimensions. It will be used in the selection process, and, if selected, in public communication.
Optional, but suggested
The following questions can serve as a starting point:
Please compose all the materials above in a single pdf (images and text), the file should not exceed 5 MB.
The jury members will evaluate all design proposals and select 10 winning submissions, one professional and one student entry per each craft. The selection process will be anonymous.
Each of the 10 winning designers (or one representative of the winning design team) will travel to Turkey for five days between 14 February and 29 April 2022.
They’ll visit the workshop and work in collaboration with the craftsperson (with the help of an interpreter and our project representative) to create two prototypes of their design. One of the prototypes is theirs to keep, the other will be used to produce promotional photographs and be exhibited in Istanbul in May 2022, and is afterwards part of the collection at Turkey Design Council.
All the costs related to the production of the prototype, travel, accommodation, and living expenses are covered by the project. In addition, designers will receive monetary compensation (750 EUR for students, 1500 EUR for professionals).
Keeping both designers’ and craftspeople’ best interest at heart, both parties will be required to sign a contract protecting their intellectual rights.
The design proposals that will not be selected will remain confidential and only seen by the jury and the necessary representatives of the project team. They will not be kept or disclosed at any point after the selection of the 10 winning proposals.
Reach out to us at euproject@turkiyetasarimvakfi.org and we’ll be happy to help.
For a list of frequently asked questions, click here.
