Aliore, Worldwide workshops - Traditional Arts and Crafts in Developping Countries

Traditional Arts and Crafts in Developping Countries:

Our traditional arts and crafts workshops with artisans in developing countries are an excellent manner to meet different ethnic groups and populations who may seem practically inaccessible (and often are for simple tourists).
We offer an unforgettable week in the company of artisans and their families, in Africa, Latin America or Asia.
You will learn the skills they use to create their objects.
You will be accommodated full-board in host-families in order to really be immersed in local culture.

This cultural immersion is almost unique because it takes place at the heart of a truly equitable exchange. Effectively, relations between rich and poor countries are rarely equitable. Our workshops try to change this perspective : the local craftspeople are the teachers and you are the students.
Also, the revenues generated by your trip constitute an important financial aid and go towards improving the lives of the families involved.
As they are based on meeting and exchange, the workshops in developping countries represent a fine example of sustainable tourism.

Take a look at our Arts and Crafts workshops in:
- Cambodia
- Laos
- Vietnam
- India
- Turkey
- Morocco
- Togo

Who can enrol ?
Anyone who is open-minded and who is motivated by new experiences.
It is recommended but not necessary to have already visited a developping country before.
The workshops can call into question your certainties and way of seeing things, so it is better to be prepared in advance not only for a geographical distance but also a difference in the way of life which can be disconcerting.
We recommend you to take a look at the Traveller’s Ethical Charter, set out by the tour operator “Atalante “ and the Lonely Planet.

Of course we do not expect you to speak the local language, in fact this should be no obstacle because you will essentially be observing work techniques and trying to reproduce them. Information is passed by observation, gestures and smiles.

Living conditions:
Host families do not necessarily live in “solid” houses. They could live in traditional homes made from bricks of dried mud, from clay, wood, bamboo...
All meals will be taken with the family so you will be able to taste local specialities.

Activities:
You can learn among others ...
- Ceramics
- Weaving
- Embroidery
- Silk painting or Batik
- Wood or stone sculpture
- Basket weaving
- Braiding
- Leather work
- Silverwork for jewellery-making with a blacksmith.

These activities very often are traditionally done by either one sex or the other: weaving and braiding are often women’s activities and African sculpture is an all male domain.
When necessary, we will respect this sexual segregation when making up the workshops.

Here is a standard programme for a one week workshop:
- 5 sessions of at least 3 hours (weaving, braiding, ceramics...)
- Full board in a host family (breakfast, lunch and dinner)
- Transfer from the airport or the railway station to the host family.

Tariff : from 250€ membership fee included

If you want to know more, Contact us !