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
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!
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