Some 300 people have enjoyed Talavera’s handicraft processes through CeramiTUR

The mayor of Tourism and Crafts, Gelen Delgado stressed that after 20 workshops and 4 guided tours CeramiTUR project ends in Talavera with data and feelings “very favorable”, and with about 300 people from all sectors, who have personally experienced “the art of feeling the clay between your fingers and the difficulty of painting a (…)

The mayor of Tourism and Crafts, Gelen Delgado stressed that after 20 workshops and 4 guided tours CeramiTUR project ends in Talavera with data and feelings “very favorable”, and with about 300 people from all sectors, who have personally experienced “the art of feeling the clay between your fingers and the difficulty of painting a piece”, which translates into learning that leads them to value “our craft processes that are declared Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity”.

She was accompanied by Fernando Portela, as project promoter, Cristina Vilches as organizer of inclusive and awareness-raising activities, and María Godoy, as agent of tourism promotion and dissemination activities.

Delgado recalled that CeramiTUR is a project that arises with the aim of promoting ceramics as a tourist attraction and transform the traditional know-how of ceramics in quality tourist offers, inclusive and attractive for both neighbors and visitors. This initiative has been led by Talavera together with the Spanish Association of Ceramic Cities and in collaboration with municipalities of ceramic tradition (Agost, Alba de Tormes, Bailén, La Bisbal dÉmpordà, La Rambla, Manises, Mota del Cuervo and Onda) with funding from the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan of the European Union – Next Generation EU, under Council Regulation (EU) 2020/2094.

CERAMITUR SHARES

The mayor explained that the CeramiTUR program in our city has focused on two actions that encompass the entire project: tourism promotion and dissemination and awareness, inclusion and accessibility.

In the first one, our handicraft process has been brought closer to young people at risk of social exclusion, women and children victims of gender violence, minors with precautionary measures and under guardianship, people with intellectual, physical or sensory disabilities, people with minimum income and foreign refugees (with the collaboration of the Red Cross).

In addition, workshops with entities such as ALPADIF, which is a Multidisciplinary Center specialized in speech therapy, psychology and physiotherapy, with blind people with the collaboration of ONCE, in Manos Artesanas with students with intellectual disabilities, in APACE with students suffering from cerebral palsy and disabilities, the clay and painting course in the Addictive Behavior and Psychiatry Unit or the route with the association “Con Otro Sentido”, where we could accompany people with motor difficulties and different abilities who were able to enjoy our heritage without barriers.

Secondly, within the action of tourism promotion, the professional associations that have visited us and have shared with us routes and pottery or painting workshops are: official tourist guides of Toledo belonging to the Association of Guides of CLM, professionals and tourism companies of our city, associations of large families of Talavera and Madrid, young people between 14 and 35 years old who conducted a painting workshop at the Casa de la Juventud, neighbors of Talavera and workshops with individuals by free registration.

Delgado stressed that all these actions have meant “a boost for artisan workshops and has increased the interest and recognition of the sector and the value and effort that artisans devote to the development of each ceramic piece”.

This year, it is confirmed that the number of students enrolled in the courses of Artistic Ceramics (higher grade cycle) and Ceramic Decoration (medium grade cycle) at the School of Art of Talavera has increased.

Therefore, we can celebrate “that our pottery, our pride as talaveranos, our hallmark, is gradually taking the place it deserves”.

The mayor has taken the opportunity to thank the work of all those who have made possible the development of these activities, especially the involvement of all artisans, lathe and painting professionals, “who have opened their doors to offer workshops that will remain in the memory of all those who have participated and have shown us with all their love and delicacy the daily work they do” (Manos Artesanas, Centro Artesano, Artesanía Talaverana, Vodre, Moverma, Cerámica San Ginés, Hermanos Timoneda and Cuaderno Azul).

He also mentioned that within this project there have been some transversal actions with a multimedia team, where they have recorded content and resources to businesses that use ceramics on their facades or in their dishes and our heritage as murals, Basilica, bridges in which highlights the ceramics and tilework and two Masterclass, one in Cerámica San Ginés of painting and decoration and another in Hermanos Timoneda on pottery, to learn the complete process of making a ceramic piece.

All this material, both the Masterclasses and the resources to businesses and heritage, will be uploaded to a multilingual web platform, which will centralize all the ceramic-tourism offer and will allow to plan trips, consult activities, make reservations and access to inclusive multimedia content, with digital content, QR codes, interactive maps, a professional intranet for members of the AeCC that will serve to show the benefits and all the heritage and craft culture that Talavera has.

NATIONAL CERAMIC ROUTE

Finally, he announced the creation of a National Route of Ceramics, a cultural tourism project, coordinated by the AeCC, which seeks to promote the ceramic heritage and pottery tradition of Spain through immersive experiences in partner cities, in addition to aligning with the European Route and creating a network of cities to promote ceramics nationally and internationally.

It consists of a route that integrates visits to museums, traditional kilns, interpretation centers, demonstrative and participatory workshops with local potters, thematic itineraries related to clay, clay and fire, educational activities, family experiences, related gastronomy, accommodation associated with the ceramic world. In short, each municipality that forms part of the Route will adapt its experiences according to the local heritage it possesses.

In addition, from the Department of Crafts will be launched in 2026 a National Pottery Competition, whose main objective will be the dissemination and promotion of the activity of the pottery sector at national level which will soon be releasing more information and details.

For his part, Fernando Portela, dynamizer of the project, reported that after the conclusion of CeramiTUR will present the new brand that will be the hallmark of the National Route of Ceramics and will be called ARTERRA: “Places where the earth comes alive”. This brand will seek to connect ceramics with the land, people and destinations and will be a common image for all participating territories, seeking to give continuity to the experiences, actions and activities that have been developed with CeramiTUR and that have served as measures to safeguard our ceramics.

For this presentation, the mayor of Tourism and Crafts, Gelen Delgado and Fernando Portela, the project’s promoter in Talavera, will attend the CeramiTUR closing ceremony tomorrow in La Bisbal dÉmpordà.