Integration of immigrant and minority groups
Good practice case study
Betet Skara, Belgium
Betet Skara is a weaving house in Antwerp, Belgium. Betet Skara means ‘weaving house’ in the Aramese language and consists of a workshop (‘atelier’) in the centre of Antwerp. The project develops, designs and produces fine hand made fabrics, using the ‘Assyrian’ method: a technique which the weavers brought from their home country, South East Turkey. Betet Skara started as an employment program but is now a full socio-economic enterprise offering its services to fashion and interior design companies in Europe.
Key lessons
- It is important to work closely with immigrant groups who are experiencing persistent unemployment to identify ‘hidden skills’ which may be relevant to the local labour market.
- Cities offer high value added market niches which can be exploited by social enterprises and SMEs, particularly in relation to traditional arts and crafts, food, leisure opportunities and retail goods.
Case study
Betet Skara [pdf, en, 18kb]
