Center Rog, a recipient of domestic and international funding for the development of contemporary crafts

One of the key initiatives is the Heritage of the Future project: a public program promoting contemporary crafts, for which we secured €17,742 in funding through the pilot SRRS – BIZI Craftsmen grant. The project consisted of a series of hands-on craft workshops held alongside the Heritage of the Future exhibition on the MadeIn platform (on view at Center Rog until 6 September 2025). In collaboration with renowned craftspeople, designers, and mentors from Center Rog, we developed a set of twelve innovative activities, including potter’s wheel testing and competitions, wire jewelry making, clay extrusion, sgraffito ceramic decoration, glass bead jewelry creation, earring forging, wild clay processing, and enameling. These activities allow visitors to experience craftsmanship as a vibrant, responsive field that addresses contemporary social and environmental challenges while fostering a dialogue between tradition and innovation.

This autumn, we are launching an international exchange project with the renowned porcelain research center Craft Limoges, supported with €20,000 by the French Cultural Institute in Slovenia. The project is based on the exchange of knowledge and expertise with leading French porcelain specialists from Craft Limoges. As part of the project, two masterclasses will take place at Center Rog: Porcelain Advent Village (25–29 September) with designer Aurélie Vrignon, and SLIPUP: The Imperfections of Porcelain and How to Use Them (22–26 November) with creator Dora Stanczel. The program also includes residencies: Slovenian ceramic artist Pia Mršek will work in Limoges during October and November, while French student Ingrid Montier will be hosted at Center Rog during the same period.

Center Rog was also active this year in the European Artistic Craft Days 2025, held from 31 March to 5 April under the auspices of the European Craft Alliance. The event offered visitors a variety of demonstrations and workshops—from jewelry forging, glass coaster making, and lacework to pottery and kintsugi.

Through these programs, Center Rog transmits craft knowledge across generations, strengthens the recognition of craftsmanship as an important creative and cultural practice, and consolidates its role as a development hub connecting local creators with the international craft community.