Glassworks

In our online plenary meeting on March 26 we reviewed the project and started looking to the future. Heinz called for re-adjustments: Glass Works is more than start-ups, but connects European glass regions and their models of regional development!
Mark outlined core results of the 2nd training phase: Start-up tutoring in glass means supporting autonomous glass makers, not teaching students. And: With changing markets, careers potentials of glass artist/makers between craft and conceptual art get more and more wide-ranging. With this in mind, our emphasis turns even stronger towards sustainable, craft-based pathways in glass.
Troels pointed out the necessity of business competence in glass. Bornholm will stay on the ball, to develop new teaching materials for entrepreneurship in glass, and course formats in collaboration with Bild-Werk.
The startup-workshop on March 27 put it all in a nutshell: All trainees presented their achievements during the training period, and received external and internal expert critique with view of realising their career ideas and future development. In return, Bild-Werk was given valuable feedback, praise and criticism about the training phase.

“After the conclusion of the project, the project partners and regional funders aim to establish the European Networking Platform and start-up activities (…) on a permanent base. It is expected that from an initial focus on former Glass Works trainees, the platform will gradually grow and integrate individual artists and artisans, as well as new businesses, and other institutions in glass on a border-crossing base. A coordination and international communication hub will be located at Bild-Werk Frauenau with the help of regional and trans-regional funding (…).”

This was stated in 2018 in the EU project application for Glass-Works. We are working on it in Frauenau, Graz and on Bornholm! In Frauenau, our goal is to continue assisting young artists to become fit for self-employment. In addition, we want to build a new institutional infrastructure for collaborative work with glass, as well as for networking and marketing of glass workers. In parallel with the international summer academy Bild-Werk Frauenau, we seek to expand our artistic programs. In the hot glass studio, small-scale manufacturing (e.g. in work residencies) shall be made possible. We would like to collect knowledge and know-how on energy-efficient glassmaking through contacts in European scenes for studio furnace construction. Results, information and contacts would be documented and fed back into practice.

Since the summer of 2021, we have had extensive discussions with experts from regional management and regional politics, from art funding and intangible cultural heritage in Bavaria. Here we find open ears: In Frauenau, old glass culture and studio glass come together. The international network and the open teaching concept of Bild-Werk offers unique future potential that we intend to develop. Where, if not here; when, if not now, can it continue in the glass?

Perhaps due the hygiene measures and the disciplined behavior of those involved, the pandemic, which accompanied us especially in the second and third training phase, luckily left us relatively unaffected. When planning a public open studio day on March 19, however, the pandemic threw a spanner in our plans after all. The participants of the annual members meeting of the German networking platform “glass pool” were invited, as were a large number of local and regional players. But as the event drew closer, another Covid wave hit, forcing us to limit the participants to the most important regional representatives of the glass scene. A top-class group was formed from the nearby Zwiesel Glass School, the Frauenau Glass Museum, our cooperation partner from Graz University as well as the press. Four trainees not only put their own projects up for discussion, but because of the intensive co-operation within the group, they were also able to provide information about the work of their absent colleagues (who were either sick or in quarantine) in terms of techniques employed and content / intention.
It was very interesting to see and experience how the project ideas have developed over the past six months, and with what aplomb the protagonists presented their portfolios to the public.
Hats off!