TY - THES ID - 135140699 TI - Vernieuwende kunstambachten. : Hoe kunnen kunstambachten als een dynamisch en hedendaags vakgebied worden benaderd? AU - Tjantele, Valérie AU - Bleyen, Mieke AU - KU Leuven. Faculteit Letteren. Opleiding Master in de culturele studies PY - 2013 PB - Leuven : KU Leuven. Faculteit Letteren DB - UniCat UR - https://www.unicat.be/uniCat?func=search&query=sysid:135140699 AB - This thesis explores the role that craft can play within our contemporary society. At the moment there is a significant renewed interest in this field. People are looking for unique and often handmade objects to distinguish themselves from the masses. This, together with the current DIY-hype places craft back in the spotlight. However it is clear that there are still a lot of stereotypes about craft in place today. Many people still view craft as an old fashioned practice. A field that is conservative, impervious to change, and therefore anachronistic and of minor importance. Especially here in Belgium were the word craft is translated as ambacht, the field suffers from a bad connotation. This ambiguous position in which craft finds itself today, together with my personal interest and background in the field, has been the motivation for writing this thesis. The first part of this research starts by defining the origin of the different stereotypes and prejudices about craft. The two most popular stereotypes -that craft is only about applying a certain skill and not about expressing ideas and craft's inherent slowness- are examined more closely. Semiotics is also being used to reveal the complexity of the word craft. The second part offers an introduction to the field of contemporary craft. Based on three very different case studies an alternative view is presented. We can see that the boundaries between craft, fine art and design are blurring, and even a co-operation with the industry is possible for the crafts today. Also craft and innovation are no longer seen as opposing terms. The combination of craft and digital design can lead to exciting new initiatives. In the third, and final part of this thesis we take a look at what the future can bring for the crafts here in Belgium. First a list of current actions that have been taken by different organisations is made. The different needs, but also the strengths of craft are formulated. To wrap up, two organisations currently already playing an important role in providing a future for the crafts are presented. These organisations can be seen as exemplary practices. I hope this thesis can convince the reader that craft is in fact a dynamic and contemporary field, which can be of importance in various branches today. I encourage people to look at craft from a different point of view and grant it a more permanent place in our society instead of being just a current fashion hype. ER -