INSPIRATIONALLY YOURS - ROYAL TEXTILE ACADEMY OF BHUTAN (RTA)

This article of mine appeared in Silkmark Magazine, published by Silkmark Organisation of India (SMOI) 

The one place stop for Textiles of Bhutan, a veritable living museum as it is termed is the RTA – Royal Textile Academy

Image Courtesy - Royal Textile Academy of Bhutan  

 A very old article written by me popped up. It was time to review and know more about how the textiles in Bhutan and the Royal Academy of Textiles was doing. The following is the old article. A further update and article, I will post a bit later.

 Mrs. Dorji, the Executive Director, Royal Textile Academy recounted the origins of the RTA -  “In 2001, the country's first permanent Textile Museum was opened by the Ministry of Home and Cultural Affairs, Royal Government of Bhutan (RGoB) under the patronage of Her Majesty the Queen

 

Mother Sangay Choden Wangchuck.  This was an important step towards collecting, documenting and displaying our exquisite textiles that are part of our heritage.” A concerted effort was made to involve weavers, local artisans through craft festivals, exhibitions and craft demonstrations. These led to a sense of pride in the traditional textiles, with awareness came demand. Demand resulted in the introduction newer colours, new patterns, intricate weaving and of course the improving of quality of weaving.  Mrs. Dorji continues, “These positive experiences led to the establishment of the Royal Textile Academy in 2005.  Our first initiative has been a building campaign. The multi -phased project is halfway done.  The new Textile Museum and the Weaving & Conservation center were inaugurated in June this year.  Plans are underway for the third (the Administrative Building) and fourth phases (Cultural Heritage Center).”

Apart from promoting and preserving the various textile arts, the RTA is also working on economic or financial empowerment of weavers’ majority of who are women. The traditional weaving skill will be transformed into an income generating activity for the women. A programme for weavers to learn the skill and encourage those who have given it up as it is not economically viable any more has been introduced with funding from Canadian Fund for Local Initiative and CSO Fund Facility.  It is also conducting training and workshops in weaving and yarn dying, the RTA also aims to organize trainings in internationally accepted methods and techniques of conservation and preservation of textiles and other artefacts.

Image Courtesy - 
Royal Academy of Bhutan

Today, the RTA is preserving, reviving and ensuring a platform for the younger generation to learn the art of weaving. Exhibitions, international collaboration and educational programmes go a long way in encouraging the craft and craftsmanship. It has on its agenda the inclusion of the other 12 crafts. 

With fusions, collaborative efforts being the buzzword of today, can the Indian silk saree get a modernistic twist with patterns from Bhutan – an attached Bhutan inspired border or pallav!