Sharjah (Union) The efforts of Irthi Contemporary Crafts Council over the past year have resulted in enhancing the status of craft heritage at the local and international levels, and providing promising opportunities for Emirati craftswomen to develop their skills, empower them economically and contribute to preserving traditional crafts and ensuring their sustainability. These efforts were represented by the conclusion of 11 partnership agreements. In the field of crafts and design with different cultural institutions, in addition to launching 14 new creative groups and organizing more than 10 workshops and craft program. These efforts contributed to introducing the artworks created by Emirati craftswomen in various local and international events organized by the council, in which nearly 15,000 people interested in the field of handicrafts participated, in addition to reviving the handicraft industry and transferring this heritage to various parts of the Middle East, Africa and Central Asia. , Irthi Council has worked continuously to build a craft system that supports innovation and relies on the harmonious combination of modernity and design heritage to enrich the traditional craft industry, in addition to empowering female craftswomen, developing their skills and supporting them to reach their products to global markets by providing social development programs, training courses, and establishing partnerships With designers and creative institutions from different countries around the world.
Reem bin Karam, Director of Namaa Foundation for the Advancement of Women, said: “With the directives and vision of Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher bint Muhammad Al Qasimi, wife of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah and Chairman of the Board of Directors (Nama), Irthi Council has intensified its efforts to introduce traditional Emirati crafts to the world and preserve and protect heritage crafts. And pass them on to future generations. The artistic partnerships and projects implemented by my legacy have resulted in the creation of new materials and techniques that constitute a valuable addition to the vocabulary of craft heritage in the Emirate of Sharjah and the UAE, and have had a significant impact on enriching the experiences of female craftswomen and supporting their careers.” Bin Karam added: “Based on our belief in the importance of enhancing the flexibility of the handicraft industry and its ability to meet the needs of the culture of the time, during the past year, my heritage was keen to keep pace with the requirements of the global market and adopt digital technologies that contribute to attracting younger generations, as well as providing innovative ways to enhance sustainability and preserve Craft and cultural heritage and the provision of new job opportunities. Partnerships between designers and craftswomen have contributed to expanding the base of those interested in traditional craft practices, while craft documentation projects have helped develop the knowledge of craftswomen and ensure the transmission of this authentic heritage to the present and future generation.
The Council began the march of the new year 2022 by declaring an independent council enjoying a legal personality and having the full capacity to carry out the necessary legal actions to achieve its goals and exercise its competencies, and it has financial, administrative and technical independence. The March of Achievements in 2021 As part of my heritage’s keenness to introduce the global design community to the artisanal heritage, the Council worked to build partnerships and joint projects with creative institutions around the world, most notably a creative project launched at the Design Miami global platform in Shanghai, in cooperation with the Lebanese designer Nada Molasses, and includes two new collections, the “Zenobia” collection, which combines the Emirati Talli craft and the famous wood inlay craft in the Levant. And other characters from the region. The “Al Thayah” collection embodies a unique cultural and artisanal harmony by using palm fronds (wicker) to present an innovative and contemporary collection of traditional household items that have been implemented by a group of designers from Bahrain, the UAE and Pakistan.
Irthi Council presented new artistic collections of fashion and jewelry inspired by Emirati heritage to ten Emirati designers who graduated from the “Aziami” program to support fashion pioneers, on the “Elevenish” global electronic platform dedicated to designers and emerging talents. The menswear brand in London, to launch its Spring-Summer 2022 collection, featuring innovative, handcrafted designs inspired by the traditional Emirati craftsmanship of Safafa and Farrukh. The partnership with T Sakhi Studio, which specializes in architecture and design, resulted in the implementation of an interactive installation project based on the use of Emirati techniques and craftsmanship, which includes 2,000 scented bags made by 37 Emirati craftsmen using the “Sayer Yai” technique inspired by the Emirati saffron craft, which is based on controversy. Palm fronds, as this work was revealed during the fifth edition of the European Cultural Center exhibition, which was held in conjunction with the activities of the Venice Architecture Biennale.
Professional and knowledge exchange programs
Stemming from a vision of promoting cultural dialogue, exchanging skills and exploring new craft techniques, Irthi worked to build bridges of cooperation with institutions in different sectors with the aim of expanding its network of relationships and gaining experience and knowledge. Documenting and preserving artisanal heritage, as he launched the exclusive “Cartier” collection for the month of Ramadan 2021, which includes a group of hand-woven baskets and “mesbah” pieces using the Talli and Safafa crafts. The “Artisans’ House” of the Department of Culture and Tourism in Abu Dhabi included four unique creative groups produced by Emirati artisans from the Bedouin Social Development Program of the Irti Council, to the collections of the historic “Qasr Al Hosn”. Dialogue sessions at Expo 2020 Dubai.
The Women’s Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai witnessed four discussion sessions hosted by Irthi Council as part of its efforts to support the design, textile and handicrafts sectors and enhance their sustainability in the UAE, during which it revealed many projects and research. My Heritage Council organized a dialogue session entitled “The Art of Weaving Relationships”, in which His Excellency Reem bin Karam, Director of the Nama Foundation for the Advancement of Women, representing the UAE, Miwand Jabrkhil, CEO and Board Member of the Fatima bint Mohammed bin Zayed Project, and Sheikha Bibi Duaij Jaber Al-Sabah, from Kuwait and Rosie Greenlees from the United Kingdom, during which they discussed the importance of international partnerships in preserving, protecting and presenting traditional crafts in a contemporary fashion, and in which they highlighted the need to establish a global network that guarantees craft communities fair wages and equal opportunities. A session entitled “The Role of Culture in Achieving Sustainability” focused on the advanced research conducted by the Irthi Council on palm frond fibers and the stages of developing a prototype for environmentally friendly palm frond textiles.
The session witnessed the launch of a research study booklet on the palm tree, as well as a booklet documenting natural and sustainable recipes for dyeing palm fronds, which was prepared in cooperation with the (Alchemy of Dyeing) platform. During a discussion session entitled “Intercultural Communication”, the council launched a research in Arabic and English entitled “Fragrance of the Future”, which aims to document the craft and trade of perfumes, ancient recipes, blending techniques and unique ingredients, and ways to enhance the sustainability of this industry in the UAE market, as well as shedding light on design projects. And multimedia, which is implemented by the Council in cooperation with the American University of Sharjah.
In the “Making the Future” session, Irthi launched an interactive electronic game called “Harf” to teach the young generation the techniques of debate in the traditional Emirati crafts Al Talli and Al Safafa in a fun and modern way on iPads. The game was developed in cooperation with the Amsterdam Opera. Studio Lauter and Studio Shushu. Crafts exchange programs to empower female craftswomen Irthi Council organized a 12-month training program in cooperation with the Jordan-based fashion brand “Serro Fashion”, with the aim of enhancing the creative and professional skills of 13 Emirati trainees and teaching them 12 stitches known in the Jordanian and Palestinian art of embroidery. During its participation in the “Dubai Design Week” which is being held in the Dubai Design District, my heritage council organized, within its “My Craft” program, a series of creative artistic workshops to introduce children and youth to the Emirati craft heritage and sustainable contemporary crafts, as it presented them with a set of activities inspired by the council’s projects that It was implemented within the framework of his “Design Labs” and “Crafts Dialogue” initiatives aimed at reviving heritage and culture. An interactive virtual experience Irthi Majlis has launched an interactive electronic platform on its website, which includes a selection of the latest handicraft artworks produced by the Majlis, where visitors can view them with an exceptional experience using 360-degree technology.
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