José Manuel Sanín not only has more than thirty years dedicated to the artisan creation of tambourines and traditional percussion instruments, but also holds the position of president of the Galician Association of Artisans. We discuss with him the challenges and opportunities of the sector.

Talent and diversity go hand in hand in this sector. What is the profile of the professionals associated with the Galician Association of Artisans?

Indeed, it is a very diverse profile, since the trades are very different from one another. How is someone who makes pottery similar to someone who works with leather? Maybe nothing, but at the same time there are also many similar traits. One of them is size. To qualify as an artisan, a workshop cannot have more than 10 employees. So we are small companies or self-employed, who work alone or have some workers. We currently have about 200 associates. The artisan is often reluctant to become a member. Even so, it should be noted that we are one of the most powerful associations and reference throughout the country.

What activities and services do you offer them?

Among other services, through the office we filter the most relevant information about the sector that comes from other associations, the Ministry, the Xunta and other administrations, related to regulations, fairs, events... and we send it to our members so they can keep up to date. We also organize events such as "Mostrart" or "Ofeitoaman", which are very well known and one of the most important direct sales fairs of handicrafts in the Peninsula. In addition, we are the natural interlocutors with the administration to transmit needs or concerns, for example before the preparation of the new Law of Crafts of Galicia, since we are the organization of the sector with the largest number of partners and the oldest.

The association was founded in 1983. How has the sector evolved over the past 40 years?

It really needs to be analyzed trade by trade. Many traditional craft activities are disappearing, since in some of them there is no generational replacement once the craftsmen who developed them retire. Others, however, are being maintained or are growing. For example, in my trade, that of tambourines, from the time I started until today, there are 10 times more artisans.

You organize well-known craft fairs every year with great public success. Are face-to-face events still key to your marketing strategy?

No doubt about it. If you don't have a presence on the street, if the public doesn't know you... you can't get people to look for you online, since we don't have the capacity of large companies to advertise digitally.

Many artisans sell online, and more and more every day, but the easiest way to make yourself known is precisely through direct sales at a fair or event. Then you can maintain the link through digital but if there was no prior knowledge it is very difficult for them to trust you and take the step.

Artisanal processes, "handmade", authenticity... are a trend. Why is that?

Craftsmen were around before there was industry. We were the way to produce objects throughout the history of mankind, except for the last 200 years. The fact that the public is looking to us again, when in the 50s or 60s of the last century craftsmanship was pushed aside for more industrial products, is not because we are doing things differently now, but because they are simply realizing that it was not valid, it did not work. People are going back to the origins.

On the other hand, unlike industry, which is able to produce more than it can sell, in our case it is the other way around. We cannot produce all that we would be able to sell. In our workshop, for example, we could sell more tambourines than we sell, but we are not able to manufacture them because we want to continue to do so in a specific way, offering a quality that withstands use and the passage of time so that the customer is always satisfied. That also makes consumers choose us.

What does the Artesanía de Galicia brand bring to the professionals who adhere to it? How do you assess the impact of this seal on the sector?

Artesanía de Galicia was a trademark registered by our association that we later ceded to the Administration because it had more economic capacity to make it grow and turn it into what it is: the umbrella brand and the seal of quality of the entire sector. It helps a lot, especially when you are starting out, as a guarantee that you are professionalized and that you meet a series of quality criteria. The brand was very good, it is very good and it is necessary to continue promoting it decisively for the future so as not to lose everything that has been achieved, giving it momentum and investing to make it more relevant and strengthen it, something that will be positive for the whole sector.

What are the sector's strengths and opportunities for the future?

On the one hand, current terms such as circular economy, zero carbon footprint, etc. have always been part of the philosophy of any artisan. Why would I bring wood, leather or clay from 6,000 km away if I can buy it from a neighbor 6 km or 600 meters away? It is a matter of rationality and common sense. On the other hand, every time there is a crisis, a lot of people who were dedicated to something else start to dedicate themselves to handicrafts. It is a refuge for many people. We saw it now with covid-19, as a result of which there was a huge incorporation of new artisan charters. But it is necessary to continue making people aware of the value of craftsmanship and of the importance of being registered, etc. As far as generational replacement is concerned, we need new people to come in with a fresh and different look at many trades that are on the verge of dying and give them a new lease of life. But they can't wait too long because they won't have anyone to learn from. Training is a great challenge because, although it is easy to learn certain things, there are other trades that are extraordinarily complicated to learn because there is practically nothing left or there is very little material that can be accessed. I believe that a commitment must be made to training, to setting up schools, even if they are not official, to gather knowledge and keep it alive and accessible.