Over two days of April 22 and 23, 2004 the Centre of Visual Arts and Research in Nicosia welcomed 160 schoolchildren from the public schools of both the Southern and Northern parts of the island who took part in the educational sessions organized by BE OPEN Foundation dedicated to Cyprus Handcrafted Heritage.
This initiative was devised with the aim of popularization and preservation of traditional Cyprus fabric production techniques. Each session consisted of a lecture on craft-related entrepreneurship and a master-class of traditional Cypriot weaving.
The lecture was prepared by a young entrepreneur Andreani Panayide, who shared her own journey from starting to explore her cultural heritage to establishing a fashion brand that trades in accessories and clothes internationally. She said, “I am glad to be part of this project, and I thank BE OPEN and Mrs Baturina for the opportunity to share my fascination with Cyprus’s traditional fabrics, as well as my experience of building a contemporary fashion brand with love and respect for the craftsmanship that embodies an important part of our cultural heritage.
It is vital to teach children that these traditions still exist, and that exploring them can be as exciting and rewarding as ever.”
Elli Filokyprou, a weaver of over 20 years of experience, who runs her weaving workshop in the village of Gourri, taught the children master classes of actual weaving on small transportable looms, and helped them create their own pieces of fabric with traditional colourful patterns.
The classes titled Cyprus Handcrafted Heritage – Classes with BE OPEN and CVAR were supported and inaugurated by representatives of Cyprus’s cultural and educational authorities and institutions.
Dr. Philippa Karsera, First Lady of Cyprus: “We welcome all initiatives that aim at teaching Cyprus children about their culture and history, expanding their horizons and offering a nurturing space for self-development. The format of the educational initiative developed by the BE OPEN Foundation is particularly exciting, since it unites the theory and practice, the past and the present, the historical context and its contemporary implementation. We hope that this project will not only help transfer the knowledge to the children, but inspire a genuine interest in the artisanal heritage of our country.”
Dr. Athena Michaelidou, Minister of Education Sport and Youth, Republic of Cyprus, kindly expressed her support too: “Cyprus’s rich artistic and artisanal history inspires international institutions, like the BE OPEN Foundation, to launch educational projects that are dedicated to traditional crafts. This project highlights not only the intrinsic value of this particular handicraft but the connection between our past and future – in other words, between the handcrafted tradition of weaving fabric and how to translate it into contemporary fashion. We support BE OPEN’s initiative, as educating children and youth in Cyprus, both in theoretical and practical terms, provides a pathway to engaging them with their own culture and history and to expose them to the value of the tangible and intangible heritage of Cyprus. The project will contribute to the commitment by the Ministry of Education, Sport and Youth to provide all children with diverse and high-quality opportunities to expand their knowledge and to explore their creative abilities.”
The Deputy Minister of Culture Dr. Vasiliki Kassianidou welcomed the participants and hosts, and said: “I strongly believe that the promotion of traditional crafts is one of the most important ways to preserve cultural heritage. All hand-crafted objects are a tangible link to our past and our ancestry; they represent the traditions, history and values of the people of Cyprus. By keeping traditional crafts alive, and inviting young people to explore their beauty and variety, we ensure that future generations have access to these essential aspects of their heritage.”
Dr. Marina Ioannou Hasapi, Permanent Secretary of the Minister of Education, Sport and Youth, took the floor to thank all of those who have worked to prepare the workshop and come to appreciate and preserve Cyprus’s rich cultural heritage. She added that in order to do so, the Ministry “welcomes collaborations with institutions like BE OPEN who are already making a deep impact with this initiative. I congratulate all the students who have and will come to participate, and hope that they will come to an understanding of our past, so as to better shape our future.”
Mayor of Nicosia Constantinos Yiorkadjis congratulated everyone on the “wonderful opportunity to learn our traditions, and learn them by practice which is the best way.” I believe it will be great,” he added, “assuming that you like these classes, if some of you actually create some of the future wear for us.”
Anna Zavou Christoforou, the Internal Audit Commissioner of the Republic of Cyprus: “”I would like to express support of these crafts lessons developed by BE OPEN and CVAR, because it is very important to recognize the contribution of crafts, artisans and craft-related small businesses to our cultural identity and economic prosperity. I believe this project to be very beneficial, because these lessons can not only educate children about the rich history and cultural significance of traditional crafts, but also impart practical knowledge on entrepreneurship, which can be a great contribution to their future.”
CVAR Founder Dr. Rita C. Severis expressed her joy to be able to offer children the chance to learn about their traditional handicrafts, “much appreciated and many thanks to BE OPEN for making this possible and bringing so many children together,” she concluded.
Finally, Founder of BE OPEN Elena Baturina welcomed the children, thanked the project supporters and explained why keeping the handcraft traditions alive is so important for people of all ages: “Craft is about connection – to one’s history, culture, nature, to one’s place and to oneself. While surrounded by mass-produced items that lack individuality, to keep us grounded in our heritage we long for handmade things with unique character that help us build and preserve our own individuality. And it is our duty to share this connection with new generations, because for them it’s the perfect gateway into their own history and culture, the geography and nature of their homeland, and an exciting opportunity to explore their artistic talents.”
After the speeches were over, BE OPEN announced that all the looms used for the master classes would be passed over to the authors of the session and CVAR as a gift from Elena Baturina, to “help them continue doing what they love, and get even more creative and inventive.”
