Coinciding with the celebration, throughout this week, of the ‘European Artistic Craft Days’, the CIOMijas facilities hosted on Monday 31st a meeting between artisans and entrepreneurs from all over the province. Up to 15 artists, most of them from Mijas, showed their products and the work they do, with the aim of maintaining commercial relations with the hotel, catering and interior design sectors, among others. 

The event was promoted by the delegation of Employment and Enterprise of the Junta de Andalucía with the support of the Mijas Craft Association, and was attended, among others, by the mayoress Ana Mata (PP), who stressed the importance of this type of networking event, encouraging the business community "to use crafts to add value to their decoration or, in the case of the catering industry, to the plates in which the chefs’ creations are presented". Likewise, the mayoress of Mijas valued that "our municipality is the only one in the province declared by the Junta de Andalucía as an Area of Artisan Interest, with about 40 artisans who do a commendable job, resisting the era of globalization".

For her part, the president of the Mijas Craft Association, Sonia Lekuona, explained that this meeting involves "ceramists, craftsmen and women in the fields of decoration, textiles, goldsmiths, painting... many craftsmen and craftswomen who today can find a business opportunity with different companies from Mijas and the province, also from different sectors, and the best thing, all of the in one place".

At this first networking meeting, the delegate for Employment and Enterprise of the Junta de Andalucía, Carmen Sánchez, also informed about the IV Comprehensive Plan for the Promotion of Crafts 2023-2026, which, with funding of almost 14.5 million euros, aims to increase the competitiveness of the sector, focusing on business training and modernisation, "because in a changing and competitive labour market, they also have the obligation or the need to innovate, to sell in a different way, through websites and other promotional resources, so here we are from the Ministry of Employment and Labour to support them and for these trades to continue to exist, because they are the ones that give life to our towns and neighbourhoods". 

This event is part of the more than 20 activities that have taken place in Malaga on the occasion of the European Artistic Crafts Days. Belonging to this trade is a source of pride, said the artisans themselves today, including Humildad Ríos from Mijas, "because it is a job that, fortunately, is increasingly valued, not very visible but always present in most places", she said, adding that "it is a joy to participate with colleagues who have been in the trade for many years, and you always learn different and beautiful things".

Finally, the councillor for Tourism of the Mijas Town Council, Francisco Jerez (Vox), recalled that, also in support of the sector, the Mijas Pueblo Tourist Office exhibits the work of two artisans from Mijas every month "so that tourists and the general public have an accessible place to go to in Mijas Pueblo to find out what each of our artisans do". 

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