Association for the Promotion of Old Crafts and Culture “WICI” [aka WICI Association] is a non-profit association based in Poland. The main goal of “WICI” is to inform, educate, and promote handicrafts in society. We work to restore the value of craftsmanship and the use of crafts in creative entrepreneurship, design, art, and as a leisure activity that contributes to well-being.
The “WICI” Association was established in 2016 by a group of activists, educators, artists, researchers, craftsmen, and craftswomen. What bonded us was our shared understanding of the value of old crafting techniques and the unique relationship between the maker and the object. Meet our team.
Our aim is to rediscover the past anew: to make the public aware of the time, skills, and knowledge necessary to make a handmade product—to see and understand the differences between mass-produced, handcrafted, and custom-made items. If crafts and handicrafts are appreciated on the market, the work of artisans becomes economically profitable as a full-fledged and sustainable source of income. Read our education strategy.
What we do
Projects in education and culture
We create and implement projects in the fields of culture, non-formal education, art, and innovation. Using crafts, folk culture, nature, and history as resources, we strive to find innovative solutions for educational and social projects that are relevant and inspiring today. Are you looking for a project partner or a sector expert? See our project portfolio for more details.
Digital culture
Our team, consisting of researchers, anthropologists, and artists, offers advice on how to present and promote a cultural project online. We help organisations and institutions build their digital audience. We start with the diagnosis of needs, prepare a strategy, and implement it with the use of digital media, film, and photography.
Creative workshops
Crafting is why we established WICI! We offer workshops in handcrafts (tablet weaving, naalbinding, embroidery, woodwork), ecological actions, recycling and upcycling, individual sewing courses, and relaxation and integration sessions with the use of creative activities. Our team has extensive experience in workshop facilitation for individuals, groups, and open, mass events such as festivals and fairs.
International partnerships
We engage in cross-sectoral and international cooperation with museums, public institutions, and NGOs. We are active in Erasmus+ in mobility and strategic partnerships. We collaborate on projects concerning arts and crafts, non-formal education, nature education, sustainability, and regional tourism.
Support for cultural and creative businesses (CCI/CCS)
Solo entrepreneurship requires plenty of skills. We provide support to creative sector entrepreneurs through consultancy, training in soft skills, brand building, and stimulating creativity and personal development. We collaborate in European consortia to support entrepreneurs in the craft sector (project STARTCRAFT and TECOFASH).
Research and consulting
High-quality research can help you prepare solid projects, discover the needs of your target groups, and increase the impact of your actions. We specialise in qualitative methods, e.g., interviews, focus groups, traditional and digital ethnography, and case studies. We teach small organisations the basics of project evaluation.
Are you interested in cooperation? Get to know our projects or contact us!
