Belgium/Steady income, socializing and sharing: Belgian artisans offer more and more creative workshops
Create your own mug or perfume, learn to weld, bake or woodwork: creative workshops are springing up all over Belgium. The concept? A craftsman opens his doors to you and helps you create an object while sharing his know-how. For participants, it's a chance to make something with their own hands. For the artisans, it's a moment of sharing, but also a major source of income and visibility. Come on, let's take you to the workshop!
Breaking the solitude of craftsmanship
Our report begins at the home of Michel Deschuytere, a cabinetmaker for 45 years in Brussels' Marolles district. He has been giving workshops for two years now. " It was a proposal from the City of Brussels and I didn't really believe in it," he confides. And yet, every week, a dozen participants take a few hours out of their day to build an object with Michel.
700 people came to my workshop
For example, they can create a wooden spoon, a birdhouse, a coffee table or even a wooden board. "I have a lot of fun and meet a lot of people," says Michel. "Over a 45-year career, I've had 1,400 big customers. Whereas here, in just two years, 700 people have come into my workshop for three to nine hours.They're generally young, between 25 and 35, and creating something with their hands for the first time, whereas they're rather used to being behind a computer all day!".
It's true that the life of a craftsman can often be a lonely one. It personalizes the pieces, makes them more human," comments one participant as she draws the shape of her cutting board. "And it's a change from the daily routine in an open space. Here, I can make something on my own."
A stable source of income
For Michel, the workshops have also become a stable source of income. "Last year, they accounted for 30% of my sales, so it's not insignificant at all. It adds a lot of butter to the spinach."
The workshops represent a secure income for this cabinetmaker. "Here in Marolles, shopkeepers have lost 30 to 40% of their sales over the last three years. I create made-to-measure furniture, I make estimates and there's always a risk that the estimate won't be accepted. With workshops, however, it's paid for and there's no risk. But it also means preparing the job properly, setting it up and providing a real service. Everyone has to try and find their own solution.
Raising public awareness of craftsmanship
As well as providing financial income, these creative workshops also serve to lift the veil on the behind-the-scenes aspects of the craft industry. Let's take a look at Amélie Gomet and Sophie Potié, two jewelry designers in Ixelles. Workshops are an integral part of their DNA. "It was important for us to have a place with two faces," explains Amélie. Here, participants create jewelry using the lost-wax technique: first, the shape of the piece is created with wax, which is then used to create a mold into which the molten precious metal is poured.
Raising awareness
As with Michel, the workshops are a source of income for Amélie and Sophie, but not the only one: "It's really complementary to raising awareness," says Amélie. "Going through the crafts means you have a better grasp of the price of a product. And besides, we're very transparent during our workshops: we talk about the cost of raw materials, for example. I also talk about fast-fashion and explain to them that we don't know exactly what kind of resin or varnish is used on fast-fashion jewelry. And handcrafted jewelry, whether in brass or silver, for example, is 100% recyclable, so you can use it for another creation later on. The piece can follow you all your life and cross generations."
And it works, because when you poll the people around the workshop table, the opinions are unanimous. "You understand the workings behind the final piece. It's very meticulous, you see all the work and time involved, and it gives you a better understanding of the price of the finished product," confides one participant.
In fact, everyone we asked: "Would you be prepared to pay more for an object made by a craftsman after what you've learned in the workshop?" gave the same answer: "Yes!
60% more participants last year
Of course, organizing workshops requires a number of conditions to be met: sufficient space, time each week, preparation of materials, etc. But this doesn't seem to be holding back participants. But that doesn't seem to be holding back the many Belgian artisans who are embarking on the adventure, as Clara Lesage, Product Manager for intermediary platform Wecandoo, confirms. "In Belgium, there are almost 190 artisans working with us, offering over 400 workshops."
And the public is increasingly indulging: "We had a 60% increase in the number of participants between 2023 and 2024." That's 19,000 people who took part in a workshop last year. "Customers are looking to understand how objects are made and are also keen to consume locally."
Belgians pay an average of 70 euros to take part in a craftsman's workshop and discover, for a few hours, all the work and know-how behind an object.
Source: www.rtbf.be/
