BE OPEN has finalised the Cyprus Future Heritage Competition, an international competition for young artisans, artists, and designers, organized in collaboration with the Cyprus Handicraft Service of the Deputy Ministry of Culture and the Society of British and International Interior Design (SBID).
The project was dedicated to celebrating and reimagining Cyprus’s weaving and embroidering traditions, aiming to preserve cultural heritage while inspiring contemporary creative practices.
The competition accepted entries from Cyprus-based students, graduates and young professionals aged 18 to 30, in four categories: designers, artisans, fine artists and makers in traditional techniques.
The entries have been assessed in accordance with a number of criteria, from the relevance to the island’s heritage to overall creative potential, and the jury has selected the winner: Voula Sakka, a 21 year old student at UCLan Cyprus, with the project “A dress stitched with the threads of a story” – an extraordinary piece of clothing that incorporates the elements of the island’s nature and craftsmanship, such as the Lefkara lace embroidery and a reimagined structure of a pomegranate.
“Through this project, I was given an opportunity to connect with my roots and gain a deeper understanding of the treasure that was hidden from me. I have discovered a new passion as I developed my knowledge and learnt to prioritize folklore and traditional technics rather modern trends”, – says Voula of her experience with the competition.
The winner will be awarded fully-covered foreign internship organised by BE OPEN and SBID.
As an international humanitarian initiative BE OPEN is proud to contribute to celebration of Cypriot heritage. Founder of BE OPEN Elena Baturina comments: “It is a joy and honour to explore the incredibly profound context of Cyprus’s artisanal history through the eyes of younger artists and makers. We are excited to see how a creative mind can interpret, transform or introduce centuries of tradition into objects and decorations relevant for the contemporary scene, thus connecting the past and the future in their own unique formats. I am sure this will inspire even deeper appreciation of Cyprus’s culture and creative potential of its craftsmanship”.