Role of applied arts in reviving heritage crafts and industries

Abstract

Historic heritage buildings are now threatened with extinction, having once been centers of economic, commercial, and cultural fame. When these buildings collapse, all aspects of economic activity parallel to that civilization disappear, and consequently, visual identity of arts associated with the previous civilization may disappear.

There are numerous interventions from Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, private sector, and international organizations to restore and reuse these buildings as much as possible. To ensure their potential contribution to development, appropriate strategies, and appropriate financial and cultural support to serve the topic more fully, the research followed a descriptive historical approach. It aims to identify the most appropriate solutions for reviving role of applied arts in reviving heritage crafts and industries.

The importance of research lies in reviving a sustainable economy and developing creative methods to create a positive image of heritage industries and visual identity, a goal pursued by Heritage Directorate of Ministry of Culture. Therefore, the research examines some of fundamental problems and strategies from an economic perspective and discusses solutions to these problems.

The research summarizes most significant obstacles that have affected them, in addition to raising level of training for craftsmen and developing applied arts to a level that preserves their history and continuity. The importance of applied arts and popular handicrafts in Jordan is linked to their economic, historical, cultural, and tourism significance. The importance of research lies in reviving a sustainable economy and developing creative methods to form a positive image of heritage industries and visual identity.