The living heritage of craftsmanship is the skill and knowledge to make, build, repair or restore crafts with materials from our living environment. Craftsmanship has been passed down through the ages from one craftsman to another and continues to be so today. Handicrafts are made as a hobby, but for many it is also a profession. A variety of craft skills are needed in many occupations, even if they are not strictly craft jobs.

Living heritage work among Taito

It is important to keep craft culture alive and vibrant in Finland. At Taito Organization, we work every day to make craft skills and knowledge accessible to all. It is important to recognise the roots of craft making and the communities that maintain the traditions. Craft making and traditions also change as the world around us changes. A living craft heritage also involves continuity: the passing on of skills, knowledge and interest to new makers.

The story of The Finnish Crafts Organization is based on the transmission of craftsmanship, and this work has been carried out by the organization for over a hundred years. As a testament to its expertise, the The Finnish Crafts Organization was accredited in 2020 as an expert organisation under the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. In international cooperation on intangible cultural heritage, The Finnish Crafts Organization represents Finnish craft culture. The Federation is a member of the ICH NGO Forum, the UNESCO-accredited experts on the Intangible Cultural Heritage Convention.

Every year, the Taito-associations produces exhibitions and seminars related to intangible cultural heritage, both on its own and in cooperation with other craft sector actors. The Finnish Crafts Organization also organises training, events and encounters around crafts. The Nordic intangible cultural heritage organisations have built a Safeguarding Practices wiki platform for sharing best practices in safeguarding traditions.

Intangible cultural heritage in Finland

In 2013, Finland adopted the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. The Convention aims to promote the identification and safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage in Finland. Intangible cultural heritage includes craftsmanship, oral traditions, performing arts, social practices, rituals and ceremonies.

The Finnish Heritage Agency is responsible for implementing the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in Finland. In line with the spirit of the Convention, communities play a central role in identifying and defining intangible cultural heritage. Therefore, national implementation is carried out through various networks and the involvement of communities is emphasised in the work. The Living Heritage Circles play a key role in the implementation of the Convention. The Crafts Circle was established in 2015.