CHAMBER OF IOANNINA

Added Value For Craft Project - This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This presentation reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein

1. Center of traditional handcraft of ioannina s.a – kepavi s.a

2. Cooper’s association of metsovo

3. Traditional cheese making in greece – the case of metsovone cheese

4. Traditional ceramics in Sifnos island

5. Museums Network by Piraeus Bank

CENTER OF TRADITIONAL HANDCRAFT OF IOANNINA S.A – KEPAVI S.A

The premises of ‘KE.PA.V.I. S.A.’ is located in Epirus and specifically in Ioannina. The building is 11.000 square meters from which 10.000 sq. meters hosts the workshops, the show and sale–room, an auditorium, a future museum of folkloric handcraft of silver-making and a lounge café – restaurant.

Ioannina is the capital and largest city of Epirus, an administrative region in north-western Greece, with a population of 112,486 (in 2011). It lies at an elevation of approximately 500 metres (1,640 feet) above sea level, on the western shore of lake Pamvotis. It is located within the Ioannina municipality, and is the capital of Ioannina regional unit and the region of Epirus. Ioannina is located 450 km (280 mi) northwest of Athens, 290 kilometres (180 miles) southwest of Thessaloniki and 80 km (50 miles) east of the port of Igoumenitsa in the Ionian Sea.

The specific content of the initiative

Center of Traditional Workshop of Ioannina’ (KE.PA.V.I. S.A.) is a pioneering movement in the fields of silver craft making in our country.

KE.PA.V.I. S.A. is a share company. EOMMEX S.Α. (Hellenic National Organization for Small Medium Sized Companies) owns five per cent (5%) of the company, Prefectural Administration of Ioannina owns five per cent (5%) Municipality of Ioannina owns five per cent (5%), while the rest of eighty five per cent (85%) is owned by forty-four (44) autonomous workshops of silver craft making.

The Center of Traditional Workshop of Ioannina (KE.PA.V.I. S.A.) was established in 2004 from the need to: maintenance of traditional art of silverware, to provide support of workshops and promotion and Development of workshops and products along with Product Certification.

The environmental issues

As we are dealing with a natural resource (as silver is) sustainability is strongly connected to the mining techniques. In Greece there is not enough (or any) silver to be mined and used in silversmithing. That leads to imports from other and mainly third countries. This concept is very complicated and has to be studied and analyzed from many scientists from different scientific fields and of course always in conjunction with National and international Laws.

As anyone can understand, the use of old silver items in order to construct new and fashionable ones are a common practice all over the world and could be different in the case of Ioannina. The silver derived from recycling (secondary silver) represents an important percentage of the total production of the metal. In the United States, were produced 1,700 tons of secondary silver. The majority of secondary silver originating from the manufacture and use of photographic materials, electrical switches, catalysts etc. Recycled silver originating from other uses is minimal or is uneconomical to produce. So, we don’t secondary form silver jewelry, silver Kitchenware and Tableware, coins and medals, as these materials very rarely recycled.

The social issues

Today silver crafts are of the main touristic (and not only) product in the region. About 85% of the buyers are foreigners (not local) consumers, who prefers mainly traditional silver jewelry. As these products are the main trade mark of the area, foreigner buyers are becoming the best promoters of Ioannina Silversmithing sector.

Here are some proposals for the future development of the KEPAVI SA:

• Attract new workshops

• Cooperate with other traditional sectors in Greece and Abroad

• Increase the number of the visitors

• Participate in entrepreneurial networks

• Increase the exports

• Be an economical and cultural center of Epirus

The difficulties that the sector was facing over the last years were visible, but the financial crisis has accentuated the problems. One of the main reason contributing to the extinction of the Silversmiths, are the massive and uncontrolled imports mainly from third countries. These products may be cheap, but they are manufactured by unknown and from dangerous materials, having no relation to the traditional Silversmiths. Another essential factor that has affected the sector, like all Greek businesses, is the tax charges and the increasing of their operating costs. Nowadays the aim should be to shift young people into productive jobs and supporting sectors have their own historical path and identity. Otherwise, in a very few years, everything on this sector will remain as a historical reference only.

Contribution to the development of a sustainable economy: areas of greatest

relevance

COOPER’S ASSOCIATION OF METSOVO

The Association of coopers of Metsovo is located in the area of Metsovo of Ioannina.

Metsovo is a town in Epirus on the mountains of Pindos in northern Greece, between Ioannina to the north and Meteora to the south. Its population is estimated at 2.503. The town is famous for its local cheeses (Metsovone and Metsovela) and winemaking industries, including the Katogi vineyard of the Averoff family. A museum named Averoff Gallery is dedicated to Georgios Averoff. Metsovo is also a popular winter vacation destination and a ski resort.

The specific content of the initiative

The sectors that the Association is active are: preservation, study and promotion of the common economic, social and professional interests of the coopers, the artisanship and their association.

Association of coopers of Metsovo, consists of artisan workshops, mainly small family businesses that mostly employs people living in the region of Metsovo.

The Association of coopers of Metsovo was established in 21/04/2005 in Metsovo of Ioannina. The art of cooper has been transmitted from generation to generation for 150 years.

The first cooper workshops made barrels originally intended for storing cheese in households. At the same time though, wine barrels also started to get manufactured. At first, both were for home use, but later the coopers of Metsovo meet the needs of the country in cheese storage and also the needs of wineries. The wooden barrels notably are all entirely handmade till today.

The environmental issues

The raw material normally used for the production of barrels, are:

- Cheese barrels: Beech

- Wine barrels: Oak and chestnut

The annual production consists of approximately 45.000 cheese barrels and 4.000 wine barrels, 90% of which is available at wholesale.

All needed raw material is coming from the region of Mertsovo which is a mountainous one (more on wood and sustainable see in 2.2).

Wood is a natural material, renewable, recyclable and fully biodegradable as such treatment does not require high energy consumption, does not produce significant quantities of waste and does not require the purchase of expensive equipment.

The social issues

The barrels are manufactured in compliance with certified manufacturing practice, so that under normal or foreseeable conditions of use, the do not transfer their constituents to food in quantities which could endanger human health, or bring unacceptable change in the composition of the food or a deterioration in the organic characteristics.

The cooperage is a registered trademark of the Metsovo region for many years and is directly connected with the evolution and development of the region.

Contribution to the development of a sustainable economy: areas of greatest relevance

The art of cooperage is transmitted from generation to generation. Young apprentice learn from the elders and they see traditional cooperage as a way out of the economic crisis.

Here are some proposals for the future development of the sector:

• creation of an industrial park, where under appropriate circumstances all the crafts will move in order to reduce the cost significantly.

• creation of a cooperatives federation.

• creation of a cooperage museum or an exhibition space.

• creation of a certified coopers school.

TRADITIONAL CHEESE MAKING IN GREECE – THE CASE OF METSOVONE CHEESE

Metsovo is a town in Epirus on the mountains of Pindos in northern Greece, between Ioannina to the north and Meteora to the south. Its population is estimated at 2503. The town is famous for its local cheeses (Metsovone and Metsovela) and winemaking industries, including the Katogi vineyard of the Averoff family. A museum named Averoff Gallery is dedicated to Georgios Averoff. Metsovo is also a popular winter vacation destination and a ski resort.

The Metsovone cheese was the brainchild of the local, aristocrat and politically powerful Tossitsa family, who “saved” Metsovo by building cheese-making (creamery) and winemaking facilities as a way to keep young locals from migrating out of the region. As part of this project, they sent several young cheese makers to Italy for training, and a new family of Italian-influenced Greek cheeses was born.

The specific content of the initiative

Metsovone (mets-oh-VOE-ne), named after the Vlach capital Metsovo, a beautifully preserved, historic mountain town situated at an important impasse in the Pindus Mountains, is one of the most revered cheeses in Greece. It is in the pasta filata family of cheeses. Metsovone is semi-hard and naturally smoked. Although it is one of the specialty regional cheeses protected as a designation of origin product (PDO), Metsovone, is modeled after another pasta filata type of cheese, the Italian provolone.

Metsovone cheese is bound with the local tradition of Metsovo and of course, it is named after the town of Epirus. It is one of the most revered and historical cheeses in Greece.

The main producer of Metsovone cheese is of course the Foundation of Baron Michael Tositsas (for details see 1.4 above). The annual production of metsovone cheese stands at about 200 tonnes. The preparation of the milk and the whole process does not stop during the whole year, while the last step in the process, the maturation lasts five months.

There's no doubt that cheese of any type—pasteurized or not; made from the milk of cows or goats or sheep—has a significant impact on the environment compared with other food products. Cheese making is a resource-intensive procedure. As we've discussed before, raising a milk-bearing animal puts out a significant amount of greenhouse gases, thanks in large part to the methane those ruminants emit. Feed production also contributes to global warming, and animal waste has implications for both water and air quality.

Here we have to highlight the lack of data concerning the environmental impact of Metsovone cheese while for Feta cheese we have good news according to Steve Zeng, a dairy researcher at Langston University. Steve Zeng singles out feta cheese as one of the best options in terms of processing impacts and notes that chèvre, brie, and Camembert are also pretty “green”.

Considering the economic crisis in Greece, in order to add value to the existing resources, cooperation with the relevant public bodies is required in order to avoid unfair competition with cheap, low quality imitations that often appear in the market. Also the creation of a cooperative between the cheesemakers and the coopers of Metsovo could help financially both sectors and as a result the wider region.

The environmental

issues

Metsovone is made from either raw or pasteurized cow’s milk or a combination of 80% cow’s milk and up to 20% raw or pasteurized sheep’s and/or goat’s milk. Then it is strictly naturally smoked from wood form the rich forest of Metsovo.

Metsovone cheese is a registered trademark of Metsovo and is directly connected with the evolution and development of the wider region. Also it is one of the specialty regional cheeses protected as a designation of origin product (PDO).

The social issues

The art of cheesemaking and the secrets of the production of Metsovone is transmitted from generation to generation.

Here are some proposals for the future development of the KEPAVI SA:

• Cooperate with other traditional sectors in Greece and Abroad

• Participate in entrepreneurial networks

• Increase the exports

• The creation of a cooperatives federation.

• The creation of a museum or an exhibition space.

Contribution to the development of a

sustainable economy: areas of greatest

relevance

TRADITIONAL CERAMICS IN SIFNOS ISLAND

Sifnos is an island municipality in the Cyclades island group in Greece. The main town, near the center, known as Apollonia (population 869), is home of the island's folklore museum and library.

The sector of the presented as an example of best practice of crafts around Greece is pottery and ceramics. The potters mainly construct their ceramics as a form of art and not as household objects like old times. As a result, pottery is a major tourist attraction in Sifnos.

The specific content of the initiative

The pottery in Sifnos mainly consists of small family business and small artisanships/workshops. The art of pottery has been transmitted from generation to generation. Today because the needs from pottery are gradually disappearing or accepted from other materials, pottery tends to become a form of “folk art” and be treated as such.

The development of the pottery originally started due to the geology of the island, the rich clay soil is an excellent raw material. Sifnos was favored for an additional reason; the quality of the clay was unique and was used for the production of refractory cooking materials, originally called “Tsikalia” which were resistant to high temperatures.

The art of pottery has been transmitted from generation to generation and the pots are strictly and traditionally handmade.

Today there are still more than a dozen potteries throughout Sifnos, contributing to the continuation of the tradition of the island, while a great number of families are dealing with the manufacturing of ceramics, mainly family businesses. They are manufacturing both ceramic pots used for cooking and art pots. Today pottery tends to become a form of “folk art” and be treated as such.

The environmental issues

The raw material used for the production in pottery, is clay. Both quality and quantity of clay in the soil of Sifnos was initially the main reason pottery flourished in the island.

The geology of the island, particularly the rich clay soil, the abundant water and the strong sun, led the inhabitants of Sifnos to work on pottery. The environmental impacts of production and consumption of pottery are minimal.

Considering all the circumstances of the current state of pottery, in order to add value to the existing resources citizens of Sifnos must seize the opportunity that pottery nowadays is widely considered a form of art and is mainly used for decorative purposes.

Also, the creation of a pottery museum or an exhibition space dedicated entirely in pottery art should be built in Sifnos.

The social issue

Buyers of ceramic from Sifnos are mainly tourists. As these products are the main trade mark of the island, foreigner buyers are becoming the best promoters of

Sifnos ceramic sector.

The pottery is a registered trademark of Sifnos. It has been for many years and is directly connected with the evolution and development of Sifnos and the region

of Cyclades.

Contribution to the development of a sustainable economy: areas of greatest relevance

In Sifnos, Pottery sector is based on small family mainly workshops while there is now an official Association in the Island. Of course these workshops collaborate with other similar ones in the Region of Cyclades Island where construction of traditional ceramics is of the main activities.

The main income of the Sifnians potters is from tourists that buy the ceramic pots as a form of art or decorative accessory.

The creation of a pottery museum or an exhibition space dedicated entirely in pottery art should be built in Sifnos is imposed.

Undoubtedly, traditional pottery in the island of Sifnos continues to create, produce and evolve despite facing financial adversities due to the economic crisis.

Museums Network by Piraeus Bank

Museums Network by Piraeus Bank is a program that runs under the Group Cultural Foundation (PIOP) operating a network of seven thematic technological museums:

Silk Museum in Soufli,

Open-Air Water-Power Museum in Dimitsana, Arkadia, (will not be presented here as it is not related to craft)

Museum of the Olive and Greek Olive Oil in Sparta,

Museum of Industrial Olive Oil Production in Lesvos (Aghia Paraskevi), Lesvos island, (will not be presented here as it is not related to craft)

Rooftile and Brickworks Museum N. &S. Tsalapatas in Volos,

Museum of Marble Crafts in Pyrgos, Tinos island,

Museum of the Environment in Stymfalia Oreini Korinthia (will not be presented here as it is not related to craft).

The specific content of the initiative

The Cultural Foundation of Piraeus Group (PIOP) is a public benefit foundation. It is subsidized for its operation by Piraeus Bank, which ensures its operating costs. With its actions, PIOP enacts an important part of the actions of the Group’s Corporate Responsibility policy in the cultural sector. Its primary statutory targets are to safeguard the traditional technologies and industrial heritage of Greece.

The museums do not belong to PIOP or the Bank but to the Local Government or the Greek State. The Foundation is committed to and has undertaken the museums’ exemplary operation for the first 50 years. It covers their total expenses and ensures their smooth operation.

The specific content of the initiative

Silk Museum in Soufli: The Silk Museum in Soufli presents all the phases and the stages of the pre-industrial process of rearing silkworms (sericulture) and of silk processing (silk manufacturing) within the socio-economic context that made the region a major silk-producing centre in Greece (late 19th/mid-20th century). The Olive Oil Museum: It aims to highlight the culture and technology of the olive and olive production, which is inextricably linked with the Greek and Mediterranean identity. The exhibits are related to the development of olive oil production technology from Antiquity until the early industrial era. The Rooftile and Brickworks Museum: The N. & S. Tsalapatas Rooftile and Brickworks Factory was founded in 1926. Its total area covered 22,000m2 (236,806ft2, or approximately 5,44 acres) and the installed power of its equipment was 300HP. It was an important productive unit, whose products were known throughout Greece. During the peak of its activity, it employed 250 people. Up to 1978, when it stopped operating, the fires of the famous Ηοffmann kiln went cold only during the German Occupation (1940-1944), and twice more during the devastating earthquakes of 1954-56 that shook Volos. Museum of Marble Crafts: The permanent exhibition, which describes the intricate meshing of tools and techniques used in working marble in a detailed and live manner, puts an emphasis on the pre- and proto- industrial Tinos, the most important centre of marble crafts in Modern Greece. In parallel, it highlights the social and economic context that the local workshops evolved in.

The environmental issues In the context of the principles of sustainable

development adopted by the Piraeus Bank Group, and in accordance with its statutory goals, the Piraeus Bank Group Cultural Foundation (PIOP) seeks to protect and showcase the natural and manmade environment, within the framework of actions it undertakes for the preservation and promotion of the country's cultural heritage.

With the objective of managing effectively the environmental impact of its activities, PIOP has developed an Environmental Management System (EMS) and in this respect commits itself to:

1. its continuous application in the Museums and other

locations of its activities, so as to ensure, among others, pollution prevention,

2. its compliance to the applicable legal and other environment-related requirements relating to the Foundation's activities,

3. the constant improvement of the Foundation's environmental performance,

4. the publication of its environmental performance, 5. the implementation and evaluation of environmental

programmes targeted at protecting and showcasing the natural and manmade environment, among others for energy and water savings, the promotion of RES, the reduction and recycling of waste, the re-use of materials, etc.

The cultural aspect Through the thematic Museums and the special actions

or programmes (national or international) it implements, to showcase the particular traits of the natural and manmade environment, by putting an emphasis on their role and significance, but also on the management practices concerning them, so as to: a) shape, highlight and protect the cultural environment/ landscape, which at present is being either created through a contemporary cultural creation, or preserved as part of our cultural heritage (material and immaterial, industrial, etc.) and b) develop social and economic activities.

The silk-industry is a registered trademark of Soufli and is connected with the evolution and development of the broader area.

The region of Peloponese and in particularly Sparta is considered as one of the main olive producing locations in Greece. The economic and cultural life of Sparta is connected with the olive oil production.

Volos is an industrial city and its cultural aspects are closely linked to the industrial production. The Rooftile and Brickworks Museum offer exhibits of one of the most prominent industries in the city.

Tinos is the center of marble production in Greece since the antiquity, and the cultural heritage of the island is connected to the industry.

Contribution to the development of a sustainable economy: areas of greatest relevance

The knowledge & skills that are developed refer to the educational programs that each museum offers to the visitors and specifically to the target group of youth and students.

The Silk Museum (Soufli) implements the program «Let's weave!», that is targeted (with the corresponding adaptation) at kindergarten children and primary school pupils. The main programme's objective is to become acquainted with weaving as a process, but also as an integral part of the town of Soufli. The Olive Oil Museum implements a program that targets to primary and high school pupils, looking to enroll them in the process of oil production in a copy of an olive oil press mill of the Hellenistic period. The Rooftile and Brickworks Museum implements two educational programs that are addressed to students, looking to teach them the properties of the materials. The Museum of Marble Crafts organize workshops on marble processing, as well as educational activities that are addressed to students.

Chamber of Ioannina Poutetsi 14, Giannina 453 33, Grecia

Telephone n. +30 26510 64013 - Email: logistirio@cci-ioannina.gr