Irthi Contemporary Crafts Council’s Bidwa programme hosts students from Accademia Italiana for cultural exchange

Irthi Contemporary Crafts Council, has recently completed a seven-day cultural exchange programme with students and staff from Accademia Italiana’s campuses in Florence and Rome in Italy as part of the Bidwa social development programme.

Accademia Italiana, one of Italy’s most prestigious institutes for fashion and design, signed a partnership with SBWC in 2015 which has seen their students use the intricate embroidery craft of ‘Talli’ in their design work, as well as facilitate longer-term student exchanges. The idea behind this visit was for Academia Italiana’s students to gain a unique insight into the United Arab Emirate’s culture and to create designs inspired by the authentic local heritage. These designs will then be presented on the runway in Italy in 2016, before being marketed through the Bidwa programme for the benefit of the artisans. 

Sally Denton, Head of Projects - Irthi said, “We are delighted to have Academia Italiana students here learning about the UAE heritage and culture. We are looking forward to seeing the work that has been inspired by our traditional handcrafts and our skilled Emirati women. Most importantly we are proud of the women on our Bidwa programme who are reaching world leading platforms for fashion through their craft work. This follows our vision of supporting and empowering women to become economically independent.”

In addition, the longer term aims of the visit was also to assist students and lecturers to better understand each other’s markets and culture; creating lasting links and partnerships through which to share best practices between academic institutions, designers and brands. 

Highlights for the eighteen visiting students and two members of staff, who took part in the cultural exchange, were participating in a workshop to produce ‘Talli’ in the Bidwa center based in Souq Anwan. They also visited The Higher College of Technology and had the opportunity to engage with their Emirati counterparts.

The students also attended the DeFashStruction exhibition in the 1971 Design Space, where two of Accademia Italiana students from Florence, Andrea Mazzone and Francesca Baldanza, had ‘Talli’ inspired pieces on show. Other places that the students visited while on their cultural exchange programme included Tashkeel, a contemporary art organisation based in Dubai, the Museum of Islamic Civilisation Sharjah, the Sharjah Art Museum and Mosque Al Diwan, amongst others. 

The cultural exchange follows the successful fashion shows in Florence and Rome last year where Academia Italiana students showcased designs featuring “Talli”. “Talli” is just one of the traditional crafts that will be elevated to new markets through the Bidwa programme which in turn will empower the Emirati women by creating a sustainable income for their unique skills whilst also ensuring that these crafts are present for future generations.