The team of the "Handicrafts in Crete" Project was in Zaros Heraklion to visit one of the active weaving businesses of the island. Maria Zacharioudakis, registered in the Handicrafts Index of Crete, welcomed Maria-Stella Zeakis (Project manager) and Amalia Ladomenou (implementation officer) to show them around the workshop she has maintained since the 1980s.
After the tour of the space, the discussion began with the experiential relationship of Maria Zacharioudakis with art. Family memories and work since adolescence led her to start her own business, which she has now passed on to her daughter. Among the first topics raised were raw materials and the complex process of setting up a loom. Next came weaving techniques and patterns from Minoan themes to modern day folk designs and contemporary ideas. The discussion turned to the industry, the difficulties and needs of professional weavers, while special emphasis was given to the promotion and promotion of the products. For the networking with the customers and the so-called target groups of each company, the demand observed by the tourists, who constitute a large group of buyers of the woven works, was of interest.
The visit concluded with the demonstration of practices, patterns and crafts from previous centuries to the present day.
The interviews are recorded (photos and videos) with the consent of the participants and posted on the Project's online channel (Youtube) and social media.
