四地汇聚苏州 非遗融合创新 | 第二期“非遗助力乡村振兴”可持续生计研修班圆满结束
随着联合国2030年可持续发展议程的落地实施以及国际社会对于发展定义认知的不断加深，文化和遗产在促进社会经济可持续发展方面的多维作用愈发受到重视。自“十三五”时期以来，发挥非遗在带动城乡就业、促进脱贫增收的资源优势、助力精准扶贫工作成为了中国文化领域的工作重点之一。中国非物质文化遗产传承人群研修研习培训计划、中国传统工艺振兴计划等帮助传承人就业发展的举措相继实施。“十四五” 时期，非遗保护传承被全面融入乡村振兴战略，继续在经济社会可持续发展中发挥更大作用。
让非遗文化资源转化为特色产业资源，需要与现代市场经济和生产生活方式相结合，进行创新化转化和创新性发展，而这一过程并非易事。在非遗作品走出深山、走进现代生活的过程中，许多传承人和从业者面临着如何有效地将非遗手艺转化为受市场欢迎的文化产品、以及如何提升公众对文化产品的认可度的挑战。
开班合影 © 苏州工艺美术职业技术学院
在这一背景下，2023年2月17日至3月3日，在联合国教科文组织-中国青少年发展基金会梅赛德斯-奔驰星愿基金《中国世界遗产地保护和管理》项目四期（2021-2024）框架下，联合国教科文组织与苏州工艺美术职业技术学院（苏工美）在苏州合作举办了第二期“非遗助力乡村振兴” 可持续生计研修班。来自中国丹霞贵州赤水、四川大熊猫栖息地卧龙、梵净山贵州松桃、中国南方喀斯特云南石林四个世界遗产地可持续生计试点项目的20位（55%女性）社区带头人、非遗传承人和独立设计师等参加了本次研修班。
图形创意教学课堂 © 苏州工艺美术职业技术学院
学员正在进行包装打样 © 苏州工艺美术职业技术学院
为期15天的培训融合了主题教学与实操演练，从图形创意、产品设计、包装设计、产品打样、模型和效果图制作等角度切入，全面提升了学员设计融合本地非遗元素和消费市场触点的非遗实用性产品的能力。课程期间，学员也开展了实地调研，参访了苏州博物馆、南京博物院、平江路历史文化街区、诚品书店、桃花坞木刻年画社等在文化创意产品开发领域已有一定基础和影响力的机构，提升了品牌塑造意识，拓展了视野。
研修班学员参访诚品书店 © 苏州工艺美术职业技术学院
学员所设计的包装样品 © 苏州工艺美术职业技术学院
对于20名参培学员而言，15天的培训是能力快速提升的开端。培训结束返回后，学员们将继续在为期一个月的时间里将所学知识和技能应用于实践。在师资团队的指导下，与各自的团队协作，设计制作出融合遗产地文化和自然元素的创意性作品。此次培训的产出也将为4处试点遗产地有效进行传统文化创造性转化、创新性发展，更好地推动乡村振兴和可持续发展起到推动作用。
The “Intangible Cultural Heritage” (ICH) means the practices, representations, expressions, knowledge, skills – as well as the instruments, objects, artefacts and cultural spaces associated therewith – that communities, groups and, in some cases, individuals recognize as part of their cultural heritage. This intangible cultural heritage, transmitted from generation to generation, is constantly recreated by communities and groups in response to their environment, their interaction with nature and their history, and provides them with a sense of identity and continuity, thus promoting respect for cultural diversity and human creativity.
With the implementation of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the deepening understanding from the international community on the definition of development, growing attention has been paid to the multidimensional role of culture and heritage in promoting sustainable socio-economic development. Since China’s Thirteenth Five-Year Plan period, priorities in culture work have included giving full play to the advantages of ICH resources in driving urban and rural employment, alleviating poverty and increasing income. A series of measures were taken, including the implementation of the National Research and Training Programme for ICH bearers and the China Traditional Handicraft Revitalization Plan, which aim to empower ICH bearers in employment and self-development. During the Fourteenth Five-Year Plan period, ICH safeguarding and transmission are comprehensively integrated into the rural revitalization strategy and continues to play a major role in sustainable economic and social development.
Transforming cultural resources into creative industries products with local characteristics requires the innovative combination of ICH skills with the modern market economy, means of production and lifestyles, which is not an easy process. As craft products emerge as a new niche market for urbanites, many ICH practitioners face the challenge of how to effectively adapt their traditional products to the taste of their new clientele, and how to effectively gain the public’s buy-in for these new cultural products.
In this context, UNESCO and Suzhou Art and Design Technology Institute (SADTI) organized the Second Capacity Building Workshop on Living Heritage for Rural Revitalization from 17 February to 3 March 2023 within the framework of UNESCO - China Youth Development Foundation Mercedes-Benz Star Fund “Conservation and Management of World Heritage Sites in China” Project Phase IV. 20 (55% women) community leaders, ICH bearers and independent designers from 4 pilot World Heritage sites of Chishui and Songtao, Guizhou Province, Wolong of Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuaries, and Shilin, Yunnan Province participated in the workshop.
The 15-day workshop was consisted of lectures and extensive hand-on tutoring, which comprehensively enhanced participants’ capacities in designing practical products that synergizes local ICH elements and preferences of the consumer market from the angles of creative pattern design, product and packaging design, modelling and rendering, and sample-making. Participants also undertook field visits to institutions that have an established foundation and influence in the field of culture creative product development, including the Suzhou Museum, the Nanjing Museum, the Pingjiang Historic District, Eslite Bookstore and the Taohuawu Woodcut New Year Pictures Society, through which they enhanced awareness and broadened visions on brand-building.
Packing samples designed and produced by the trainees © SADTI
For the 20 trainees, the 15-day workshop is only the beginning of the capacity enhancement process. In the next month after returning to their hometown, they shall put what they have learned into practice. With the guidance from the faculty team, the trainees shall collaborate with their respective teams to design and produce creative products that integrate the cultural and natural elements of the heritage sites. These tangible outputs of the workshop will also contribute to the creative transformation and innovative development of traditional culture in the four pilot sites, and facilitate rural revitalization and sustainable development.