Lefkara embroidery lace apprenticeship programme
Lefkara laces is the most representative traditional embroidery craft of the semi-mountainous village of Pano (upper) and Kato (lower) Lefkara, after which it is named. Lefkaritiko was inscribed on the UNESCO’s Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2009, fulfilling the following criteria for inscription in the List:
Passed on from generation to generation over many years, the craft of Lefkaritika is sustained by its aesthetic and socio-economic values, providing women of Lefkara with an enviable sense of identity and continuity; Inscription of the element on the Representative List would contribute to raising awareness of the significance of traditional handicraft skills and the successful integration of diverse cultural influences and modern techniques;
In 2013, the Cyprus National Commission for UNESCO, in collaboration with the Lefkara Municipality and the Association for the Production and Promotion of Lefkara Embroider, launched the pilot project “Lefkara embroidery lace apprenticeship”, which is based on the experiential approach and apprenticeship next to craft masters who have contributed and still contribute towards the development and continuation of this specific embroidery lace tradition.
The programme – workshops include individual and group lessons, lectures and guided tours of cultural, religious and commercial sites and community buildings, including the local Museum of Traditional Embroidery and Silversmith-work and the Lefkara Handicraft Centre.
Focusing on providing on-site accommodation for the participants and on the importance of the involvement of the local community in its design and implementation, the main aims of the “Lefkara embroidery lace apprenticeship” programme are:
a) To explore and propose, through interactive and collaborative approaches, innovative and sustainable ways of studying, interpreting, protecting and transmitting the oral traditions and traditional practices of Cyprus.
b) To educate and raise awareness through experiential learning among the general public and particular professional groups, about the importance of the safeguarding and development of the intangible cultural goods.
c) To provide particular professional groups with the opportunity to acquire basic knowledge and skills to produce traditional crafts, as well as to draw inspiration and material with the aim of assimilating and utilizing it in their own field of action and creation.
d) To encourage contact and interaction with the environment and the people who have contributed and are still contributing towards the formation, conservation and continuation of the intangible cultural elements, thus approaching traditional models of informal and formal learning and teaching, in which social contact and transmission of knowledge and skills are organically interwined.
e) To promote the active and systematic involvement of the local community and the professionals and tradition-bearers, in actions aiming towards the protection and continuation of the tradition, which providing social and financial incentives for the transmission of knowledge and skills.
f) To create favourable conditions for the development of lasting links and cooperation between the participants in the Programme and the community of Lefkara, thus contributing to the viability of the ICH
g) To create favourable conditions for the reconceptualization and the development of the oral traditions and traditional practices of Cyprus into new artistic and cultural products, thus contributing towards the renewal and enrichment of the contemporary Cypriot cultural landscape.
Contact information:
Dr Antigoni Polyniki
Project Coordinator
Cyprus National Commission for UNESCO
Tel.: +357 22809809
Email: apolyniki@culture.moec.gov.cy
More information:
Video Lefkara embroidery lace apprenticeship programme 2015