The craft policy
The policy of the Ministry of Culture in favour of crafts concerns all its directorates. Its aim is to preserve and enhance these professions that are involved in heritage conservation, contemporary creation and the dissemination of culture. It also intends to ensure the transmission of exceptional know-how.
THE DIRECTORATES-GENERAL
Artistic Creation Branch (BOD)
It defines and evaluates the State’s policy on the performing and visual arts. It supports the creation, the searche and facilitates the meeting of all artistic disciplines: plastic arts, design, photography, crafts, music, dance and performing arts. It develops a policy of purchasing and ordering works. It contributes to the development of networks for the creation and dissemination of performing arts and visual arts. It accompanies the public order as well as that of the 1% artistic (commissions of works for public buildings) which often leads to collaborations between artists and crafts. In the field of live entertainment, the grants awarded to costume designers, wig makers, milliners and decorators-skaters help to perpetuate the permanent workshops of the Opéra national de Paris and the Comédie Française. DGCA also encourages teaching and vocational training through art schools. Some training centres are more specifically dedicated to crafts such as the Domestic furniture for the tapestry or Sèvres-Cité de la céramique.
Measures in favour of craft
DGCA coordinates actions related to crafts led by the Ministry of Culture and Communication. This cross-cutting mission brings him to work with the Directorate-General for Heritage and the Directorate-General for Media and Cultural Industries. At the regional level, it collaborates with the DRAC (Regional Cultural Affairs Directorates) which each have a corresponding art profession.
The DGCA’s mission is to ensure the preservation and enhancement of crafts in close collaboration with theNational Institute of Crafts (INMA). It carries out various actions:
- Support for exceptional know-how
- Appointment of Art masters and their promotion in France and abroad
- Organization and monitoring of the transfer of know-how from the Masters of Art to their students for three years
- Implementation of regional know-how transfer schemes
- Interdepartmental relations
- Open to dialogue with professionals in the arts, artists, institutions and international organizations.
Heritage Branch (PB)
It ensures the effective management of public policies in its various fields of competence: architecture, archives, museums, monumental and archaeological heritage.
Measures in favour of craft
PB primarily uses the craft professionals for its work in catering or of restitution. Masonry, framing, roofing, carpentry, but also carpentry, gilding, tapestry... The museums and Historical monuments are the areas of focus.
The DGP preserves the knowledge made by the maintenance of art workshops internal to the institutions and the establishment of continuous training in the fields of conservation-restoration and communication-valorization of the collections.
The art workshops of the National Archives carry out restorations on documents, bindings and old gilding. Restoration and seal moulding work is also carried out in-house, in the restoration and seal moulding workshop.
Media and Cultural Industries Branch (CMIB)
It defines, coordinates and evaluates the State’s policy for the development of media pluralism, the advertising industry, all electronic communication services to the public, the phonographic industry, books and reading and cultural economy.
Measures in favour of craft
ICMD supports the libraries for restoration works of old books and ofprints.
REGIONAL DIRECTORATES FOR CULTURAL AFFAIRS
The Regional Cultural Affairs Directorates (DRAC) are responsible for implementing, under the authority of the Regional Prefect and the Department Prefects, the cultural policy defined by the government. They also provide advice and expertise to cultural partners and local authorities in all areas of activity of the Ministry of Culture and Communication: heritage, museums, archives, books and public reading, music, dance, theatre and entertainment, scientific and technical culture, visual arts, film and audiovisual.
Each RDCA has its art trade correspondent. Placed under the authority of the Regional Director of Cultural Affairs, its mission is to implement, at the regional level, state policy (Ministry of Culture and Communication, Directorate-General for Artistic Creation) in the field of crafts.
