Artisan Bari: the first 2 projects for the opening of new workshops in Bari Vecchia have been approved for financing

As part of the notice Bari Artisan, with determination published yesterday (DD 3547/2024), the Labor Policies and Urban Innovation office - Planning, Innovation and Communication division admitted artisan businesses to co-planning activities Schettini Calzolai and Ars Toto who have passed the merit assessment and are thus preparing to start the actions required for admission to financing. It is an artisanal shoemaker's shop and an art restoration shop, both intending to locate themselves in Strada Santa Teresa dei Maschi, in old Bari.
In fact, artisan Bari encourages the opening of artisan workshops, laboratories and showrooms in the historic center with non-repayable contributions of up to 60 thousand euros: in exchange, the Municipality of Bari requires a commitment from the artisans to promote the culture of artistic and traditional craftsmanship in favor of the citizens and visitors of the city.

“The first two artisan businesses financed by the Bari Artigiana call – comments the Councilor for Economic Development Carla Palone – represent an important signal towards the objectives that this administration has set itself to diversify and qualify the commercial base of the old city. We want the oldest part of the city, crossed every day by thousands of tourists, to be able to enjoy an increasingly wider, diversified and quality offer where, alongside the numerous catering activities, the best expressions of artistic craftsmanship can find space and tradition of our territory".

In particular "Schettini since 1918” is an artisan company in the shoemaking sector that intends to open a shoemaking laboratory/studio (in Strada Santa Teresa dei Maschi 20) dedicated to production and sale of handcrafted footwearas well as their repair. The project involves collaboration with Confartigianato UPSA Bari, the “I figuranti di San Nicola” Association and Velo Service tour operator for the creation of free workshops on footwear craftsmanship for visitors, tourists and school groups.

The artisan enterprise "Ars Toto”, with the TotoNew project, intends to create an artistic workshop/laboratory dedicated to research and innovation in the field of restoration of cultural heritage. The premises identified for the establishment of the shop are located in Strada Santa Teresa dei Maschi 18-19, near the church of the same name. The project involves renovation and layout of the premises for the creation of a restoration laboratory and an exhibition space. The project is developed in partnership with CNA Puglia, Giornale di Puglia, Olivud audiovisivi and the Rinascimento association and involves the creation of laboratory, cultural and exhibition activities linked to the valorisation of the city's cultural heritage.

The office for submitting applications to the Bari Artigiana notice is open until next June 30th.
At Porta Futuro (former Manifattura Tabacchi, via Ravanas 233), information and orientation services are available, by appointment, for artisan businesses in the metropolitan area interested in settling in old Bari.
To facilitate meetings between owners of commercial premises and artisan businesses, the Municipality of Bari has also launched a call to create a register of premises available for the establishment of workshops: the call is always open and can be consulted at this link.

Bari Artigiana is a measure financed with resources from the “Metropolitan Cities” Complementary Operational Program (POC Metro) 2014-20, which total 829.322 €.