Irthi Contemporary Crafts Council, an affiliate of NAMA Women Advancement Establishment (NAMA), recently held workshops on sustainable art and craft for children and youth at ‘The Festival at Masdar City’ featured during the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week 2019 (ADSW).
‘Hirfati… My Craft My Future’, Irthi’s dedicated youth programme introduced children aged 7-14 years and youth aged 15-18 years, to the concepts of sustainability and protecting the environment, while creating traditionally-inspired designs from the UAE’s heritage crafts.
‘Hirfati’ brought in simple and fun craft ideas to tackle the question about how environment-friendly recyclable materials can be fused with Emirati culture to create sustainable designs and products.
Participants learned all about the importance of using recycled materials, and tried their hand at using tyre, felt, and other material to create tote bags, stencils, and keychains. In addition, they explored their creativity around decorating their eco-friendly tote bags using heritage-inspired designs.
These activities were conducted in line with the council’s mission to preserve the UAE’s heritage crafts and ensure their sustainability by passing them on to younger generations, igniting their creativity and offering them the skills training required to practice these crafts.
Irthi’s presence at ‘The Festival at Masdar City’ came as part of a larger participation by NAMA and its affiliates at the annual Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week.
Reem BinKaram, NAMA Director, said: “At Irthi Contemporary Crafts Council, we adopt a strategic approach that is based on innovation in crafts, and the preservation of heritage by transferring skills and knowledge to new generations. Our participation in one of the UAE’s leading sustainability events, was in line with this vision.”
“We are always keen on taking up opportunities that allow us to share our specially-designed programmes to promote traditional crafts, and explore more sustainable practices in the crafts sector, while instilling them among future generations of our nation,” BinKaram added.
The participation reflects Irthi’s keenness to contribute to national efforts aimed at achieving sustainability in all fields, particularly in the crafts sector, and share knowledge and expertise with local, regional and international organisations participating in the event.
Irthi’s interactive stand at ‘The Festival’ featured a recycled felt-weave display installation, in addition to a weaving wall, where visitors tried their hand at creating several shapes using sustainably-made threads.
The stand also showcased elements of traditional Emirati crafts, such as the ‘Kajoojah’, a metal stand used to create ‘Talli’ (a form of traditional hand-woven braid).
Smart tablets were also available on the stand that provided information about the council, its projects, and notable achievements in modernizing and elevating the crafts.
‘The Festival at Masdar City’, held during the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, welcomed the local community on 18 and 19 January to join a series of fun and educational activities related to sustainability against the backdrop of one of the world’s most sustainable cities.
This year’s festival, which aimed to encourage UAE residents to live more sustainably, featured themed educational zones plus local exhibitors promoting sustainable living solutions, organic produce, a variety of workshops for children and family, music and food stalls.
