As part of Bridging Inequality through Creative Economy in Informal Areas (BICEIA), this project aimed to integrate the designers and manufacturers in Cairo’s formal economy with the artisans and craftspeople in the informal economy by fostering collaborations that develop skills, market products, and connect creative talent to income opportunities in broader distribution networks.

Egypt has a long tradition of palm-reed products, including communities of craftspeople in a number of villages in the delta, Upper Egypt, and some oases. This traditional household-based craft, which includes vegetable crates, poultry cages, patio furniture, lamps, as well as a wide range of basketry, mats, and hats, is currently under threat due to two main forces. The first is the replacement of many of these products with cheaper plastic ones, making it financially unsustainable to support micro-economies, forcing the younger generation to pursue other jobs. On the other hand, regional, more expensive markets are attracting master craftspeople, which drain the local market and gradually erode the knowledge reservoir of this craft. This project aims to recognize and reinforce links between high-end designers and hubs of palm-reed crafts, to boost the latter’s business model through new designs using traditional techniques, ultimately striving towards bridging economies, exchanging knowledge, and integrating supply chains. 

The project was concluded with the Tajreeda Exhibition in VeryNile, organized by CLUSTER in collaboration with Khoos and Palm Art, with the support of the Wealth Inequality Initiative by the Julius Baer Foundation.