CACO - Associação de Artesãos do Concelho de Odemira

description of organisation

CACO is an non-profit association aiming at uniting and representing local artisans, by contributing to the dignification of its associates and craft activities.
According to its mission, CACO Association carries out several actions, not only to support the commercialization of handicrafts, namely those resulting from the work of its associates, but also to:
- promote activities that encourage and foster knowledge and dissemination of the local handicrafts activity (namely with schools and the local community)
- promote the professional training of artisans
- network, at different levels, with entities with an interest, or direct intervention, in the arts and crafts sector.

At the moment CACO is coordinating the project CRIAR – Network Center for the Innovation of the Regional Handicraft and offers workshops and tours based on real experiences in the scope of the traditional arts and crafts. This network centre is located in Odemira, in the region of Alentejo, a rural area which confines with the Atlantic where agriculture and sea related activities are developed by local communities.
There are several cultural programs specially designed for the visitor (and the local community) to know Odemira region, with paths through landscapes, villages and private environments.
The activities and projects promoted and developed by CACO aim at the local communities -in particular young people - and also the visitors of the region who search for a closer contact with the local culture