The Future of Tradition, the Tradition of Future
Moderators:
- Carol Cassidy
- Founder of Lao Textile
- Tran Tuyet Lan
- General Manager of Craft Link, Vietnam
Participants:
- Chiang, Min-Chin
- Assistant Professor, Graduate Institute of Architecture and Cultural Heritage
- Lee, Chia-Chieh
- Operating Manager, IOH
- Lo, Cho-Tzu
- Designer
- Huang, I-Chieh
- Founder, Howdy.tw
- Huang, Ottavia
- Managing Editor - International Journal of Cultural and Creative Industries
- Liao, Yun-Chan
- Associate Managing Editor, Commonwealth Magazine "Independent Review”
- Liu, Ivan
- Director, Legacy Lab International
- Lai, Emily
- Marketing Executive, Lovely Taiwan
Table 1 discussed the importance of education, marketing, and innovation for the development of the craft, design, and creative industry. Moderator Carol Cassidy said that a café chat like this was a great example of the concepts of "loud and free” and "people-to-people exchanges” discussed during the Monday morning session. The group spent a thoroughly enjoyable evening together and wished they could have had more time for discussion. A Facebook group was even set up immediately after the chat so that members can stay in touch and continue to exchange views and discussion issues. The participants recommended that the Ministry of Culture hold more events like this on a regular basis in the future, and that they also invite participants from the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Science and Technology in order to encourage interdisciplinary collaboration.
Ms. Cassidy thinks that art does not belong exclusively to the realm of culture. Art is also closely linked to science and technology and cannot be developed properly without adequate concurrent development of these areas. For example, the emergence of the textile industry was the result of the industrial revolution, which shows that tradition and technological improvement are two mutually inclusive forces rather than opposing ideas. The application of new technologies can also bring innovation to traditional craftsmanship. Thus, the Ministry of Science and Technology should be present for future discussions about art and culture.
It is also important to collaborate with the Ministry of Education as this ministry can encourage younger generations to learn more about the cultural industries and to major in cultural studies, which will do much to increase both the numbers and quality of human resources available to these industries. Current students are the future consumers, inheritors, and innovators of traditional crafts. Schools can provide experiential programs that enable students to get hands-on experience. By getting involved in traditional craftsmanship like bamboo weaving and indigo dyeing, students will learn more about the various artistic materials used and craft production, and they will gain deeper knowledge and a sense of the aesthetic. At the same time, young people's natural creativity will make the crafts more innovative and forward-looking. Ottavia Huang, Managing Editor of the International Journal of Cultural and Creative Industries, said that in Indonesian high schools it is mandatory for students to learn a traditional craft and a regional dialect. I-Chieh Huang, founder of Howdy.tw agreed that hands-on education is very important: only when students experience the difficulties of craft production will they learn to appreciate craft works, and when they become consumers in the future, they will be more willing to pay more for quality handmade items, instead of settling for cheap, mass-produced products. This will also help secure the passing down of traditional craftsmanship and enable producers to create brands.
Educating the wider society is just as important as educating the young. Moderator Tran Tuyet Lan stressed the importance of public education, saying that art needs an audience that knows how to appreciate it. She suggested that the government should hold more workshops and lectures on traditional crafts. For example, the Thailand Creative and Design Center (a governmental organization) is very eager to promote public education and holds workshops and exhibitions on a regular basis, providing people with a wide range of learning opportunities and choices so as to generate more attention for traditional crafts from a wider audience. Developing national brands can also help industrial transformation. Like Taiwan, Thailand still relies heavily on OEM and ODM companies and needs to develop its own brand in order to upgrade its industries. But the key to setting up a national brand is arriving at a solid understanding of its traditional cultures which are something unique that cannot be copied or reproduced by other countries.
Ms. Tran Tuyet Lan thinks that marketing techniques should also be used. Looking for the right niche and the right market for craftwork will also help to ensure that craftsmanship and knowledge continues to be passed down from generation to generation. The government should commission marketing professionals to introduce Taiwanese brands in international markets in a variety of ways, including making overseas contacts. Ivan Liu, director of Legacy Lab International, said that combining new media, technology, and art can generate innovation and so create a new mindset about traditional art. Legacy Lab International focuses primarily on large scale outdoor art installations. The high cost of such projects, however, makes it hard to find sponsors. Mr. Liu hopes that the government will help Taiwanese brands to find international partners who can show the world the progress of new arts in Taiwan.
Tom Lii also stressed the importance of cooperation and communication with the government in order to promote traditional crafts. He expressed the hope that in the future the government would set up craft centers where collaboration and interaction could take place. Taiwanese traditional craft artists could meet with their SEA counterparts and share knowledge or even undertake joint projects. International events like trade shows should also be held in order to attract consumers who will purchase traditional craft works and learn more about SEA at the same time.