A social responsibility project in the context of the transformation of tradition: Bir Usta Bin Usta

The transformation of the tradition is about traditional knowledge and the transfer of this knowledge. Due to the industralization and globalization, there has been a transformation in traditional handicrafts and craftsmen; because while these two basic processes are being lived, the existence of the traditional knowledge has been ignored. In other words, there Bir Usta Bin Usta project is a project that strives for protecting traditional handicrafts against modernity. This project, which was instrumental in training trainees with the modular training given by the masters selected by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism between 2010-2019, tried to play an active role in the transformation of fifty traditional handicrafts within a period of ten years.The scope and limitation of the study consists of five traditional handicrafts. These are; Yahyalı carpet weaving, Amasya broad cloth weaving, basket knitting, glass evil eye beads and marbling. In the first part of the study, the subject, scope and limitations, purpose, importance and method of the thesis are explained. In these cond part, there has been given an information about the Bir Usta Bin Usta project, the concept of social responsibility and the history of the five traditional handicrafts studied within the scope of the thesis. In the third part, the data obtained in the field researches within the scope of the Bir Usta Bin Usta project were tried to be evaluated in the context of the transformation of tradition. This transformation in question; technical features, cultural space, motifs, education and transfer form. As a result of the study, it has been revealed that environmental and social achievements have been achieved within the scope of the Bir Usta Bin Usta project, while economic outputs have not been adequately achieved. The main reason for this is the short duration of the modular education system given within the scope of the project; because traditional knowledge is a whole and it is a type of skill gained through years of observation and practical experience, as well as the verbalism it contains. On the other hand, it has been proven that the traditional handicrafts are constantly updated with the transformation of tradition in today's life. This situation is; manifests itself in cultural space and technical features. It has been determined by the researcher that the contribution of the Bir Usta Bin Usta project to this transformation was realized in broadclothweaving, basket knitting and glass evil eye bead, but it did not lead to a transformation in the art of marbling and Yahyalı carpet weaving. In other words, the transformation of traditional handicrafts depends primarily on the realization of cultural space and technical transformation and then on the will of the craftsman.