The provincial delegate for Employment of the ‘Junta’, Carmen Sánchez, delivered the new plaques on Thursday the 14th

 

Published: 15th March 2024

 

The provincial delegate for Employment, Enterprise and Self-Employment of the Andalusian Regional Government, Carmen Sánchez, visited the headquarters of the Mijas Artisans Association (Puerta del Ágora) on Thursday 14th to present the identification plaques to the representatives of the four workshops that have been incorporated into the Mijas Artisan Interest Zone.

Sánchez attended the event together with the mayoress of Mijas, Ana Mata (PP), and both were received by the president of the group, designer and dressmaker, Sonia Lekuona.

The plaques were presented to María Jesús Sánchez, head of Ole Mi Pepe, an artistic jewellery establishment; Cristóbal Angulo, an artisan silversmith who is very involved in the world of brotherhoods and goldsmiths, and María José Calvente, who has been involved in sewing and fashion for 15 years. The fourth plaque was reserved for Laura Benavides, a craftswoman who works with polymer clay in costume jewellery, but who could not be present at this award ceremony. “It is not just a matter of tradition, but of a set of trades that open the doors ,to creativity, imagination and personal fulfilment, giving rise to the creation of unique works of incalculable value that demonstrate the talent of the people of our land”, said Sánchez.

For her part, the mayoress recalled that Mijas is the only municipality in the province of Malaga that has been declared an Area of Artisan Interest, “and that makes it much more valuable than other municipalities, therefore, from the administrations we also have to take the baton and promote this traditional craft work, so that it is not lost and can have a continuity”.

During her visit, the Delegate for Employment announced that the Andalusian Regional Government has already launched the IV Integral Plan for the Promotion of Crafts, with an investment of 14.4 million euros, “which will be used to subsidise the modernisation, digitalisation and updating of the entire crafts sector, with the aim of increasing its competitiveness and for artisans, in turn, to create more employment and, therefore, more wealth”. Impressions of the artisans The artisans also valued the importance of giving visibility to the work they do through initiatives such as this. “For me it is a point of reference for anyone visiting the workshop”, said silversmith Cristóbal Angulo. The seamstress María José Calvente admitted that, in a world as technological as the one we live in, carrying out this type of artisan activity requires great effort and special dedication, “but it’s what I like”. The expert jewellery artist, María Jesús Sánchez, asked for the support of the administrations, “so that they give us facilities to hire and give work, especially to young people”. Finally, craftswoman Laura Benavides acknowledged that, “the more of us there are, the more relevant Mijas is in terms of artisanal crafts”.

 

Impressions of the artisans

The artisans also valued the importance of giving visibility to the work they do through initiatives such as this. “For me it is a point of reference for anyone visiting the workshop”, said silversmith Cristóbal Angulo. The seamstress María José Calvente admitted that, in a world as technological as the one we live in, carrying out this type of artisan activity requires great effort and special dedication, “but it’s what I like”. The expert jewellery artist, María Jesús Sánchez, asked for the support of the administrations, “so that they give us facilities to hire and give work, especially to young people”. Finally, craftswoman Laura Benavides acknowledged that, “the more of us there are, the more relevant Mijas is in terms of artisanal crafts”.

 

Source: Mijas Comunicación S.A.