top of page

ZukunftsHandwerker

1000041437_edited.jpg
What is ZukunftsHandwerker?

ZukunftsHandwerker (Future Craftspeople) is a project by The ARCH gUG, a charity dedicated to preserving rare crafts and establishing international best practices for craft education, tested at the local level. It aims to teach 150 children in the rural Altmark region of Germany traditional skills like woodworking, weaving, and clay modeling through hands-on workshops. Starting in 2025, flexible workshops will be held in the park of Rittergut Schönberg, with a permanent workshop planned for 2026. Besides ZukunftsHandwerker activities at our hub at Rittergut Schönberg, we bring craft activities to other regions of the rural Altmark, such as through pop-up workshops and by developing satellite locations. The project fosters creativity, patience, and sustainable thinking, empowering kids and strengthening the community while showcasing globally informed, locally proven craft education models.

​

What’s Coming Up?

In Autumn 2025, we are starting our regular crafting sessions with children, supported by volunteers. These will take place in the park at Rittergut Schönberg. The sessions will teach kids skills like woodworking, weaving, and clay modelling, encouraging creativity, patience, and sustainable thinking. These temporary workshops build momentum for the permanent craft workshop planned for 2026.

  • 20th of September, 2025: A crafts workshop for 3-18 year olds at Rittergut Schönberg in Altmark, Germany, will bring together young participants to explore traditional skills through hands-on activities. This event will highlight the joy of crafting, fostering creativity and community spirit while advancing the project’s mission to keep rare crafts alive.

  • 18th of October, 2025: Workshop of Living Traditions – A Feast of the Senses for All Ages, celebrating the UNESCO International Day of Intangible Cultural Heritage. Held at Rittergut Schönberg, this event will showcase the rural Altmark community's rich heritage through hands-on crafting stations (like rope making, embroidery, and printmaking), tasting local delicacies during a communal lunch (such as runner bean soup with pancakes), regional stories and songs in Altmark Platt, traditional children’s play and rhymes, an exhibition on embroidery and timber-framed house building, and crafting competitions using traditional tools—exploring what ICH means to our community. See also here: https://ich.unesco.org/en/activities/workshop-of-living-traditions-a-feast-of-the-senses-for-all-ages-00590

  • 15th of November, 2025: A community craft celebration at Rittergut Schönberg in Altmark, Germany, will bring together people of all ages, young, old, and everyone in between to craft together. This event will highlight the joy and connection of traditional crafts, fostering community spirit and showcasing the project’s mission to secure the legacy of heritage crafts within their local cultures.

  • 2026: Construction will begin on a permanent craft workshop for children at Rittergut Schönberg. This space will revive the spirit of craftspeople who have worked at the estate over centuries, providing a dedicated hub for year-round craft education and empowering future generations with traditional skills.

​

How to Get Involved

  • Donate: Support 150 children a year learning crafts like woodworking and weaving with a donation. Contributions like 10 € for an apron, 50 € for tools, or 109 € for a workbench make a difference. Donate here: https://www.betterplace.org/de/projects/155264-zukunftshandwerker-kinderwerkstaetten-in-der-altmark

  • Volunteer: Assist at the community craft day in September or Autumn 2025 kids’ workshops at Rittergut Schönberg. Volunteers help craftspeople ensure safe, quality learning for kids.

  • Run Your Own Local Craft Hub: Start a craft hub using The ARCH’s global best practices tailored to your community. The planned Community Craft Event Handbook can guide your efforts.

  • Get Crafting: Kids and families can join our Autumn 2025 workshops or special events to learn skills like weaving. These sessions foster creativity and sustainable thinking.

bottom of page