Italian furniture manufacturer Poltrona Frau introduces a novel training approach to secure and promote Italian artisanry
**Poltrona Frau's Atelier dei Saperi: Preserving Italy's Artisanal Heritage**
Poltrona Frau, a renowned Italian furniture maker based in Marche, has launched the Atelier dei Saperi, a comprehensive training programme aimed at preserving Italy's rich heritage of traditional artisanal skills. The project, which began in 2022-2023, was initiated due to the increasing difficulty in finding qualified resources in the area and throughout Italy.
The Atelier dei Saperi, translated as 'Atelier of Knowledge', embodies the essence of the project's value in two key concepts: ability and knowledge. The programme is designed to train the future master upholsterers of Poltrona Frau, ensuring the continuation of traditional skills essential for the production of high-quality, handmade furniture.
The course combines theory, hands-on workshops, and internships in Poltrona Frau's three business units. Students undergo a rigorous 500-hour course in leathercraft, supervised by master upholsterers and other company professionals. Retired master craftsmen also share their expertise, explaining the story of the products' evolution and their unique features and elements to the students.
Admission into the Atelier dei Saperi course is highly selective, following the standards set by GOL, an employment programme administered by the Italian government. The inaugural course, which concluded in February, had eight students, five of whom took full-time jobs with Poltrona Frau after completing the course. Two of the former students are now working within the Atelier dei Saperi programme itself.
The relationship between Poltrona Frau and its region is deep and enduring, with the company being an integral part of the region and a pillar of its economic and social makeup. By developing the Atelier dei Saperi in tandem with local institutions, Poltrona Frau is not only safeguarding traditional skills but also fostering a sense of pride and continuity in traditional craftsmanship within the community.
Through initiatives like the Atelier dei Saperi, Poltrona Frau is playing a crucial role in safeguarding Italy's artisanal heritage by ensuring that traditional skills remain relevant and vibrant in the modern era. By emphasizing the importance of preserving artisanal skills, the programme helps maintain Italy's cultural identity through craftsmanship.
- Participants of Poltrona Frau's Atelier dei Saperi may expand their knowledge not only in leathercraft, but also delve into various aspects of fashion-and-beauty, home-and-garden, technology, and education-and-self-development, as the course combines theory and hands-on workshops across the company's three business units.
- In addition to its roots in traditional artisanal furniture-making, Poltrona Frau's Atelier dei Saperi is spearheading innovation in lifestyle education, helping ensure that the future is filled with skilled artisans capable of enhancing peoples' homes, wardrobes, workspaces, and minds, all while preserving Italy's rich cultural heritage.
