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y^K 331.54:746.2
Shapkin V. V., doctor of pedagogical sciences, professor, leading researcher of the Research institute of traditional artistic crafts, Higher school of folk arts (academy), 191186, Saint-Petersburg, Griboeydov canal embankment, 2, liter A, e-mail:vshapkin@mail. ru
An artist of traditional applied arts and folk crafts in the conditions of the
modern labor market
Abstract: The article considers the specifics of the production of traditional Handicrafts, professional qualification requirements for employees of this industry and discusses the structure of the introduced professional standard for manufacturers of decorative and applied arts. The results of an empirical study of the professional career of lace-making artists are analyzed.
Keyword: features of production of applied arts and crafts products, professional qualification requirements for artists of decorative and applied arts, professional career of lace-making artists.
Some time ago a Russian newspaper published a material by V. Dvoeglazov about the souvenir market of the cities of the Silver Ring such as Veliky Novgorod, Pskov, Izborsk, Veliky Ustyug etc. [1, p. 13]. The article's refrain is encouraging: the works of Russian craftsmen have begun to displace Chinese consumer goods from the souvenir market. There are still many problems with the production and sale of traditional applied arts and folk crafts. Let us try to figure out what these difficulties are.
Let us look at the problem of preserving and developing traditional arts and crafts in Russia more broadly taking into account not only their role in preserving the identity of Russian culture but also from the standpoint of the place of the decorative and applied arts artist in the modern industrial labor market. It should be noted that little attention has been paid to this issue in scientific publications. On the one hand, this is due to the small market share of handicrafts; on the other hand, to the multi-operability of the manufacturing process of such products accompanied by a large proportion of manual labor [2, 5]. A marketing approach to the study of the labor market of folk arts and crafts is proposed in the work of D.A. Shevchenko [6]. The historical perspective of the realization of S.V. Lebedev's handicrafts is interesting [4].
The method of single production is most often used among the general economic methods in the production of products of traditional applied crafts. This type is characterized by a limited assortment and a small volume of production of identical products which are often non-repeating. Workplaces at such enterprises do not have deep specialization workers who are highly qualified. There is a large amount of manual creative work, high labor intensity of product, a long production cycle of product manufacturing [3]. This necessitates subsidized state support for this sub-sector of the national economy.
At the turn of the XIX - XX centuries the Government of the Russian Federation is taking a number of measures to ensure the conditions for the preservation, revival and development of folk arts and crafts. Targeted programs for their development are being implemented, tax and fee benefits are being introduced and the procedure for procurement and purchase of raw materials is regulated. In 1999 the law of the Russian Federation "On Folk Art Crafts" has adopted the criteria for classifying legal entities and individual entrepreneurs as enterprises of folk art crafts. These crafts are being introduced as a system of activity of expert councils in the field with the rights to approve artistic samples of handicrafts of recognized artistic merit that is being formed.
The taken measures influenced the dynamics of the development of folk arts and crafts. By the end of the first decade of the XXI century the total output of enterprises amounted according to the Ministry of Industry and Energy to more than 8800 million rubles (excluding small businesses).
More than 60% of folk arts and crafts enterprises were unprofitable or low-profit in 2019 [5, p. 3]. The largest percentage of people employed during this period was in enterprises producing stitched products (25.2% of the total number of people employed in the field of folk arts and crafts), the smallest was in the production of artistic products made of bone and horn (0.2%) and lacquer miniature painting (0.25%) [2, p. 82].
It can be noted that according to 2018-2019 textiles had the highest weight (13%), metal products took the second place (11%), ceramics took the third place (7%) with regard to the commodity segments of the Russian market. According to industry analysts changes in the commodity structure are not expected in the near future [5, p. 19].
The specifics of labor in the production of handicrafts determine the differences in the structure of the employed people (table 1).
Table 1.
Comparison of the structure of industrial and production personnel by industry and
arts and crafts, 2005 (%) [2, p. 89]
By industry By artistic crafts
All industrial and production personnel including 100 100
Workers 80,0 92,0
Students 0,0 0,8
Managers 11,8 5,0
Employees 3,6 1,2
including junior service personnel 1,5 1,0
Others 3,1 0
All categories of employees of folk arts and crafts' enterprises are divided by types of production each of which provides for a number of professions including in turn a group of specialties. A specialty is a type of activity within a given profession that has specific features and requires additional knowledge and skills from the employee. New professions and specialties are emerging along with the death of old
ones due to the development of the division of labor and the creation of new or changing the technology of existing types of production.
The normative document defining the requirements for qualified workers, employees of specific professions and specialties is the Unified Tariff and Qualification Directory of jobs and Professions of Workers was introduced by the Ministry of Labor of Russia. For folk arts and crafts. This is Unified Tariff and Qualification Directory issue No. 61. The collection summarizes 12 types of productions of folk arts and crafts including the production of papier-mache art products with miniature paintings the production of art products made of bone and horn etc. Professions in the soft group of products (lace weaving, embroidery, carpet weaving, fabric painting) are published in the Unified Tariff and Qualification Directory branch reference books on light industry (issues No. 40,46, 50). The total number of professions related to folk arts and crafts and included in the Unified Tariff and Qualification Directory is more than 120.
Since 2014 a system of professional standards has been introduced in Russia. To date there are more than 1000 approved standards. The professional standard covers the entire group of jobs within the profession describing it in terms of "generalized labor function", "labor function" and "labor action". Each generalized labor function corresponds to two or more labor functions qualitatively defined by a list of necessary knowledge and skills. One or more specialties are associated with each generalized labor function.
There is one standard among the professional standards approved by the Ministry of Labor of the Russian Federation in the field of traditional applied art. The standard includes three generalized labor functions: 1) Design, manufacture and implementation of artistic design solutions; 2) Manufacture of artistic products in the traditions of folk crafts; 3) Restoration of works of art.
The bearers of the profession are a graphic designer, a specialist in lacquer miniature, a specialist in art painting on metal ceramics and glass, a specialist in jewelry in the field of precious metals and stone, a restorer of decorative and applied art. All specialties assume that the employee has a diploma of secondary vocational education.
Firstly, the introduced professional standard does not cover a large group of workers producing products of traditional artistic crafts such as manufacturers of bone products, lace makers, embroiderers, fabric painting artists etc. Secondly, the specified standard does not correspond sufficiently with the Federal State educational standards of secondary vocational education in the direction of 54.02.00 Decorative and applied arts and folk crafts.
What features of the modern labor market of artists does the above-mentioned specifics of the traditional applied art industry lead to? We will indicate the most significant of them:
- a limited number of enterprises specializing in the production of handicrafts;
- the long duration of the manufacturing process and accordingly the slow movement of working capital;
- problems with the pricing of handicrafts;
- a significant number of fakes on the market of handicrafts;
- the lack of adaptation of the content of educational standards of secondary vocational and higher education to the requirements of the market environment, insufficient training of graduates of professional educational organizations for self-employment and teaching;
- insufficiently effective state policy for the preservation and development of folk arts and crafts.
Let us illustrate what has been said by the example of the professional career of masters of artistic lace weaving (based on the materials of our study conducted jointly with graduate student S. Ananyeva in 2019). The study included a survey and interviewing 50 lace makers most of whom live in places of traditional existence of this folk art craft. It showed that almost all of them possess different techniques of lace weaving and do not lean towards one traditional type of lace weaving making their own author's lace. Half of the respondents have secondary vocational education in the profession of "lace maker".
The sale of their own products is the main source of income for only 18% of respondents. 10% of the total number of respondents have their own online lace stores on Instagram, Vkontakte. For 20% of the respondents the main way of earning money is teaching lace weaving and selling products is a source of additional income and a way of self-realization. A significant part of the respondents reported that teaching may become or has already become their main professional activity because it brings a stable income and allows you to confidently plan your life. The realization of such a trend leads respondents out of the market of folk arts and crafts.
An analysis of the answers regarding the demand for types of lace products in the modern world shows the stable popularity of various accessories and small lace inserts in clothes which is largely due to the large time spent on manufacturing complex products and the high price of bobbin lace. Relatively inexpensive and quick-to-make items are being sold well, e.g. brooches, necklaces, earrings, collars, inserts into clothes, hats, mitts, ties, lace covers for notebooks and documents. Also souvenir gift items are popular (for example, small napkins) and motifs for seasonal holidays such as Christmas decorations, horoscope symbols, Christmas angels, Easter symbols etc.
Many respondents indicated that they needed commercial knowledge and skills much more than the direct skill to weave and draw patterns as for the skills necessary for successful professional activity in the field of creating and selling bobbin lace products. These competencies are the ability to run social networks design online stores, send parcels anywhere in the world as well as an understanding of how to effectively and profitably advertise their products, how to create an author's brand. Many pointed out the importance of being able to photograph their products professionally. Sewing and modeling skills were also often mentioned because many customers want to see unique lace on equally unique clothes made especially for them and not according to a ready-made pattern and for large orders of one-piece garments this is especially important.
As the result, the analysis of the questionnaires shows that the lace artist today is an entrepreneur, a designer of his own brand, an SMM specialist, a fashion designer and a fashion photographer. The very structure of the market for the sale of
unique handmade products disposes to possess a wide range of tools to overcome competition and promote their products. This conclusion is applicable to most specialties in the field of folk arts and crafts. The data obtained by analytical agencies show that many manufacturers are poorly represented on the Internet. According to expert, estimates remote channels account for only about 2% of all retail sales [5]. It is expected that in the near future digital channels will occupy a key place in the marketing infrastructure of the industry.
In conclusion, we note that there is a steady increase in interest in folk art reflecting the life culture and identity of the peoples of the world and the emergence of the most attractive products on this basis all over the world. According to the analysis of data from a number of studies conducted by analytical agencies the following categories of consumers of handicrafts can be distinguished [5, p. 12]:
- foreign tourists and delegations who purchase as a rule souvenirs and traditional handicrafts of the lower and middle price segments;
- domestic tourists who purchase mainly souvenirs of the middle and lower price segments;
- collectors who purchase locally and abroad as a rule high-quality traditional products with artistic value;
- local buyers of various handicraft products of the middle and lower price segments who purchase mainly goods for home decoration.
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