The German Craft Council has the task of stimulating debates between design, craftsmanship, industry and the public on the aesthetic and social quality of our living environment. To this end, the German Craft Council develops opinions and recommendations for political action and coordinates them with comparable institutions in other countries.
What the members have in common is that they
- are small and medium-sized manufacturing players
- have a high proportion of manual work in the production process
- perform a high proportion of creative work themselves
- have regional production in Berlin and Brandenburg
- are committed to sustainable production.
Network membership is open to all industries; the “functionally” described company characteristics, which can be limited by criteria such as creative craftsmanship, manufactory production, quality, regionality and sustainability, are decisive. This functional bracket bundles a whole series of companies in Berlin and Brandenburg, but also in Germany, for which special requirements apply. The aim of the network is to articulate the special interests of these players in Berlin and Brandenburg, which are summarised under the term manufactory.
Tasks
Even if manufactories are not comparable with craft enterprises in the service sense, craft remains constitutive for manufactories. The economic cycle of the craft is important for manufactories. But just as important are the manufactories for the craft trade: manufactories are the creative and qualitative “spearhead” of the craft trade. They unfold a radiance that generally has a positive effect on craft. The dazzling image of manufactories can motivate young people to choose craft.
The objectives of the Meisterrat Berlin-Brandenburg e.V. are in particular to
- strengthen the craft sector in general and raise awareness of the social relevance of the craft sector
- improve the economic situation of designers, craftsmen and manufacturers
- communicate for manufactories
- create a new image of the Berlin-Brandenburg region as an attractive location for crafts and manufactories
- to bring forgotten or marginalized handicraft practices back into the limelight
- target marketing of the states of Berlin and Brandenburg as tourism destinations
Topics
The Meisterrat Berlin-Brandenburg e.V. deals with seven main topics:
- Quality
- sustainability
- digital transformation
- Education and youth
- foreign trade
- trade
- Intangible cultural heritage
Along these themes the Master Council works on different levels:
Economic initiatives
The Meisterrat Berlin-Brandenburg e.V. (Berlin-Brandenburg Master Council) is committed at state and federal level to improving the framework conditions at the Berlin-Brandenburg location.
Network events
Network events such as the “Berlin-Brandenbuger Manufakturentag” (Berlin-Brandenbug Manufacture Day) promote the exchange of actors. Within the framework of such events, a manufactory exhibition is linked with a symposium and a network meeting.
Tourism
The physical visibility of the manufactories in the region is created by a “Berlin-Brandenburgische Manufakturenstraße”. This adventure street leads along the manufactories in Berlin-Brandenburg and can be visited by tourists. The tourist route will also be made accessible on a website.
Publications
The manufactories are presented to the public through publications such as the “Regionalführer Berlin-Brandenburg”. The regional guides are distributed via tourist points (Info-Points/Gastgewerbe).
Information
Members are informed about current developments and projects via a website and a manufactory app.
Education
The training situation is promoted through young talent initiatives. On the one hand, the aim is to introduce more young people to the future prospects of the craft trades. At the same time, efforts are being made to link training relevant to manufactories more closely with topics such as communication, design thinking and forward-looking technologies. The initiatives are aimed both at craft-oriented training occupations and at universities and technical colleges.
