TASA Shop Closes Its Doors, but the Project Continues

On 13 February, the TASA Project will close the doors of its shop located in Loulé, after ten years dedicated to developing products in which design highlights and enhances traditional crafts.

In addition to developing products for the hospitality sector, architecture, and concept stores, the creation of a physical shop and an online sales space allowed the collection to reach a wider audience, at a time when traditional arts and crafts were still undervalued.

The dozens of pieces launched on the market over the years embodied TASA – Técnicas Ancestrais, Soluções Atuais (Ancestral Techniques, Contemporary Solutions) – but the Project’s activity was not limited to product development alone.

Since 2013, when Proactivetur, a company specialising in the connection between tourism and territory, began managing this project originally promoted by CCDR Algarve in 2010, the company has invested in other ways of supporting the sustainability of traditional arts in the Algarve.

Proactivetur designed, organised and promoted master–apprentice knowledge-transfer initiatives to train new artisans, incorporated creative craft-based experiences into the tourism offer, implemented several projects aimed at revitalising traditional trades, and produced research on endangered crafts in the Algarve (Red Book – Red List of Algarve Craft Activities – CCDR Algarve – 2021).

The reality of the crafts sector in Portugal today is different from what we saw over the past decade.
There is more room in the market for artisan-authored pieces and greater innovation is taking place. There is also wider recognition of the importance of craft activity in safeguarding intangible heritage and affirming cultural diversity.

However, within this context, a gap remains between the recent shift in market interest and the ability of stakeholders and decision-makers to organise a response with a long-term vision. There are still very few artisans capable of producing regularly—and those who do exist are currently overwhelmed with demand. A mindset that undervalues craft prices persists, continuing to be one of the main obstacles to the renewal of artisanal activities. At the root of all this lies the absence of a strategic vision for the sector, capable of planning interventions that can reverse the risk of disappearance facing a large part of the region’s crafts listed as cultural heritage.

The commercialisation component of the TASA Project’s craft and design products is affected by some of these issues, and it is for this reason that Proactivetur has decided to close the shop.

Even so, much remains to be done, and the company will redirect its efforts towards other forms of support for traditional trades and artisans—focused on Algarve’s endogenous materials, responsible tourism, and the valorisation of intangible heritage.

Interested members of the public have this week to purchase the last pieces in stock from the brand, as well as some prototypes, at clearance prices. After that, responses will be handled through special requests and under specific conditions.

The shop is located at Rua de Portugal 35 B, in Loulé (Mon–Fri 09:30–13:00 | 14:00–17:30).