Launched in 2014 and concluded in 2016, 'From Craft to Art' is a community- based art development project, designed by New Zero Art Space in collaboration with the British Council and SDC (Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, Embassy of Switzerland) with the aim of exploring and creating opportunities for combining artistic creation with traditional crafts, targeting craftsmen and artisans from local cottage industries from: Shan, Kachin, Mon and Chin States, and Mandalay and Tanintharyi Regions.
The project period supported up-scaling their artistic skills development, forging networks amongst local crafts people and promoting the newly designed craft items through workshops and exhibitions.
‘Craft Forward’, a two day craft conference in Yangon, the first of its kind in Myanmar, was also organised in January 2016. The event gathered 18 local and international speakers and 160 delegates including artisans, designers, NGO representatives, small business owners, government officials, researchers and academics debating the current state and future possibilities of the artisan craft market.
The project developed the creative skills of artisans, increased sales of artistic products and helped to build up a network between artisans involved in the project.