If you’ve visited our Living Crafts Centre on the banks of the Mekong, you know it’s a wonderful place to learn about Lao textiles and handicrafts. But Luang Prabang (city AND district) has so much more to offer… This is why Tailor-Made Artisan Tours will be available soon!
Did you know that the villages around Luang Prabang each have their very own speciality? If you read our previous blogs, it’s safe to say that you traveled with us to the Bamboo Village and the Paper Village already. Well, this month, we’re taking you to Ban Chan, the Pottery Village. You have to cross the Mekong to get to Ban Chan. Follow us for a stroll through this village where clay is the material of choice.
If you’re lucky enough to visit Luang Prabang, you’ll hear about (and probably visit) the Weavers Village, the Paper Village, the Pottery Village and even the Whisky Village. But a bit further out of town, on the banks of the Namkhan lies a village that less travelers venture to, Ban Donkeo, known as the Bamboo Village.
The Village Weavers Project is a series of initiatives that create economic opportunities for artisans in rural locations around Laos. We decide which villages to work with in a few different ways. Sometimes, it comes through Public Private Partnerships. This is how our collaboration with the Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF) started three years ago. Read this interview with Ock Pop Tok’s (OPT) Co-Founder and Executive Director, Veomanee Douangdala, to learn more.
Did you ever stroll through a market during your travels and wonder if the product you were about to buy was really handmade in the country you were visiting? Rest assured that when buying from Ock Pop Tok, you buy a product (hand)made in Laos from start to finish. Let’s have a look at the production process of artisan products Made in Laos.
Did you ever wonder who made the products you buy? Rest assured that when buying from Ock Pop Tok, you buy an artisan made product. And your purchase not only helps these artisans make a living from traditional crafts but also supports the preservation of local culture. Let’s have a look at the faces behind your handicrafts…
Over the past two weeks, our production team has been road tripping around northern Laos. They visited 6 villages in 3 provinces and trained dozens of artisans. We have videos and tons of pictures…
They’re mostly made of fabric scraps. They are plastic-free. They are colourful and playful. They’re affordable. Our toys and dolls — made in Laos — are the perfect gift for a baby or young toddler. Icing on the cake? They’re gifts that give back as they generate income for remote Akha and Tai Lue artisans!
According to Shoshana Stewart, CEO of Turquoise Mountain, the cornerstones of sustainable craft business are energy, beauty and pride—terms not often emphasised in development work. In this episode we go to Afghanistan, Myanmar, Saudi Arabia and Jordan, taking ‘roads less travelled’ to see how Turquoise Mountain harnesses master artisan skills and launches a new generation of craft business.
Why is Myanmar difficult terrain for artisans? Plastic upcycling genius Peter Pau Son, founder of Shin Thant Plastics, and Ulla Kroeber, co-founder and lead designer at Hla Day, a crafts and design organisation in Yangon, helps us understand the challenges of doing business in Myanmar.
Explore the pottery tradition of Oaxaca, Mexico with Kitzia Barrera, co-founder of Innovando la Tradición and Colectivo 1050 Grados. An industrial designer by training, Kitzia decided to work with indigenous artisans in an effort to merge traditional and modern design principles. Through social and participatory design, Kitzia and indigenous communities are working together to revitalise the practice and economy of pottery.
The Moroccan carpet is iconic. It has grown exponentially, but Berber communities and the women who weave these gorgeous carpets have not necessarily benefited. Nina Mohammad-Galbert, founder of Artisan Project, explains this imbalance and discusses the importance of ethical sourcing and buying.
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