Designing Digital Sustainable Futures: Crafting through COVID-19 crisis

这一以挑战为主导的研究项目旨在应对新冠肺炎危机对乌兹别克斯坦手工艺行业的影响，该行业缺乏数字化，深受影响，确保该行业的长期可持续性，并为其他面临类似问题的国家制定路线图。该项目将共同设计数字解决方案，以克服新冠肺炎对手工艺活动的影响，并产生一个更具弹性和包容性的社会、文化和经济共同体生态系统。我们将与当地研究伙伴和专门的IT组织合作，创建一个易于使用、低成本的数字生态系统，以提供进入市场的机会，在社会上连接手工艺社区，分享手工艺大师的知识，并珍视乌兹别克斯坦面临丢失风险的多样化文化遗产。新冠肺炎疫情已迫使包括乌兹别克斯坦在内的许多国家政府进入封锁状态。据乌兹别克斯坦统计局称，疫情严重影响了手工艺部门，特别是在农村地区，那里的失业人数和生活贫困的人数有所增加，危及手工艺企业未来的生存。封锁和旅行禁令剥夺了手工艺社区的主要收入来源，扰乱了供应链，挑战了学徒制度。在我们的“GCRF紧急基金：新冠肺炎聚焦的研究建议”中，由于没有手工艺行业的官方统计数据，我们对乌兹别克斯坦的800名手工艺者进行了调查。三分之二的受访者正在考虑关闭生产，80%的受访者在大流行期间看到他们的收入下降，超过40%的受访者认为他们无法生存超过12周。因此，乌兹别克斯坦的手工艺正处于崩溃的边缘，如果不采取紧急行动支持、保护和珍视其不可估量的非物质遗产，整整一代手工艺者将停止生产和分享手工艺知识。开发数字生态系统已被我们的试点项目确定为最有希望的解决方案，以在危机期间支持手工艺者，并为不确定的大流行后情景创造复苏途径。这是迫切需要的。该项目将产生一个联网的文化手工艺基础设施，支持目前被切断联系的利益攸关方的融合。数字干预将包括数字图书馆、培训课程、数字沙龙、为女性领导的手工艺企业提供指导，以及电子商务应用程序。数字生态系统将发挥四个具体作用：1)进入当地和国际市场，使手工艺大师在新冠肺炎危机期间获得收入来源；2)资源，确保遗产保护和估值的知识和传统的生存；3)包容和可持续的手工艺者数字讲故事平台，包括女性大师的数字沙龙；以及4)与客户、学生和其他手工艺者互动的新网络。该项目还将为该平台产生创新的商业模式，以确保项目结束后的长期寿命、社区参与、承诺管理和基于社区的利润分享方式。利用数字工具解决这一紧迫问题符合乌兹别克斯坦政府关于经济数字化和小企业复兴计划的优先事项。乌兹别克斯坦在2016年才开始开发数字解决方案和创建必要的基础设施，为了表明数字经济的重要性，乌兹别克斯坦总统宣布2020年为数字化年。该项目将首先支持乌兹别克斯坦的手工艺部门，并将通过与英国文化协会“未来手工艺”方案的战略伙伴关系，通过将在项目结束时制定的路线图，逐步推广到其他官方发展援助国家。

This challenge-led research project is designed to tackle the effects of COVID-19 crisis on craft communities in Uzbekistan, deeply affected by the lack of the digitalisation of the sector, ensuring the long-term sustainability of the sector which has been systemically compromised by the pandemic, and to create a roadmap for other countries facing similar issues. This project will codesign digital solutions to overcome the impact of the COVID-19 on craft activities and produce a more resilient and inclusive social, cultural and economic community-based ecosystem. In collaboration with local research partners and a specialised IT organisation, we will create an easy-to-use, low cost, digital ecosystem to provide access to markets, socially connect craft communities, share craft masters' knowledge, and value Uzbekistan's diverse cultural heritage which is at risk of being lost. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many governments, including Uzbekistan, to go into lockdown. According to the Uzbek Statistics Office, the pandemic is severely impacting the craft sector, especially in rural areas, where there has been an increase in the number of unemployed and people living in poverty, endangering the future survival of craft enterprises. Lockdowns and travel bans removed craft communities' main sources of income, disrupted the supply chains and challenged the apprentice system.In our "GCRF Urgency fund: COVID-19 focussed research proposals", we conducted a survey among 800 craftmakers in Uzbekistan, as there are no official statistics on the craft sector. Two-thirds of respondents are considering closing production, 80% have seen their income decrease during the pandemic and more than 40% do not believe they can survive more than 12 weeks. Thus, Uzbek craft is on the verge of collapsing, with the threat that an entire generation of craftmakers will stop producing and stop sharing craft knowledge, if urgent action is not taken to support, preserve and value its inestimable intangible heritage. Developing a digital ecosystem has been identified by our pilot project as the most promising solution to support craftmakers during the crisis, and create pathways of recovery for the uncertain post-pandemic scenarios. This is urgently required.The project will produce a networked cultural craft-based infrastructure supporting the integration of stakeholders, who are currently disconnected. The digital intervention will consist of a digital library, training courses, a digital salon, mentoring for female-led craft enterprises, and an e-commerce application. The digital ecosystem will fulfill four specific roles providing: 1) access to local and international markets enabling the craft masters to secure an income stream during the COVID-19 crisis; 2) a resource that will ensure the survival of the knowledge and traditions for heritage preservation and valuation; 3) an inclusive and sustainable platform for craftmakers' digital storytelling, including a digital salon for female masters; and 4) a new network to engage with customers, students and other craftmakers.The project will also produce an innovative business model for the platform to ensure long-term longevity, community involvement, committed management, and a community-based profit-sharing approach after project conclusion. Using digital tools to solve this urgent problem is aligned with the Uzbek Government's priorities on digitalisation of the economy and on the recovery plans for small enterprises. Uzbekistan only began to develop digital solutions and create the necessary infrastructures in 2016, and to signal the importance of digital economy, the Uzbek President declared 2020 the year of digitalisation. This project will support the craft sector in Uzbekistan first, and will be cascaded to other ODA countries through a strategic partnership with the British Council programme "Crafting Futures", through the roadmap that will be produced at the project's conclusion.