The Craft Laboratory at the Department of Conservation, University of Gothenburg, was established in 2010 as an initiative by Gunnar Almevik and Peter Sjömar in cooperation with heritage organisations, craft enterprises, and trade organisations with the purpose to empower craftspeople in the complex processes of making. The comprehensive agenda is to bring research into practice and involve craftspeople in the processes of inquiry. The laboratory works with crafters and uses practice as a method for research. Through projects and networks from the Craft Laboratory, the department has prospered from the opportunities to recruit “cooperative or enterprise doctorates” with the doctoral students employed in work life. The Craft Laboratory has an extensive publication of film-based documentaries and instructions as well as written reports and guides that are published online. The publications derive from projects, and in most cases, the author is a craftsperson. The laboratory presented about 50 documentaries and over 20 books since the start. Among its operational tools, the Craft Laboratory provides: Craft Scholarships, Craft Film Courses, Craft documentation workshops, Master Classes, the biannual Nordic Building Preservation Convention for professionals in the built heritage sector and the scientific conference Biannual International Conference for the Craft Sciences (BICCS).
University of Gothenburg, Department of Conservation and the Craft Laboratory, is leading the Work Package Sector Integrated Dynamics. The project will initially map and identify the gaps in work, education and training in cultural heritage, and develop models to bridge the gaps.
https://www.gu.se/en/research/charter-cultural-heritage-actions-to-refining-training-education-and-roles
