“ARTS is a project of cooperation and development which is realized in the province of Huari, dep. Ancash, Peru.”

In 2007, the project ARTS started, after an investigation project called “Antonio Raimondi”.

From this research it was found out that the traditional textile production with a weaving-loom and the pottery art in Ancash, was losing its production system and its commercial routes. This meant an impoverishment of the two communities which produce handicrafts, and a loss of knowledge. To react to this trend, ARTS was founded.

The project ARTS gives help with the management and organization of the weaving and handicrafts activities in the province of Huari. The main objective of ARTS is to give an impulse to the production and sales of local handicrafts in the communities: San Bartolomé de Acopalca and San Juan de Yacya which are situated in Huari. The project ARTS contributes to the acquisition of the building materials and equipment as well as to the organization and management of textile workshops in different categories like production, sales, cost analysis, management of a small company, and workshops for personal development. Furthermore they are educating a team which will be specialized in the organization of the project. ARTS is financed by the Instituto Italo-Latinoamericano in Rome via funds of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and by the support of the provincial government of Huari. Both the communities have founded associations: “Asociación de Artesanas Yachay Warmis de Acopalca” and “Asociación de Artesanias María Jiray de Yacya”.

The production process is totally manual, from washing dyeing, and spinning the wool until weaving the product with the weaving-loom. Besides the use of the weaving-loom no other equipments are used. Natural materials are used for the weaving process, for example herbs and cochinilla are used for dyeing the wool. At the moment the products of Huari are also sold in different handicraft markets locally, regionally, and nationally (Lima).