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Newsletter Jan – June 2010

Much has happened since I wrote to you six months back. The first half of 2010 has been very exciting and on track with my agenda. Here is a brief.

Membership: It is heartening to note that awareness of WCC is gaining ground as I personally witnessed during my various visits to different regions. We take great pleasure in informing you that the first WCC Africa Assembly is being planned in Zambia at Mulungushi International Conference Centre, Lusaka, from October 26 – 28, 2010. Considering the vastness of the African continent, we are also planning a meeting of the Western African countries during the 12th International Arts and Craft Trade Show (SIAO 2010) in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso on November 1st 2010.

Lecture: In April we organized a lecture by Dr. Mona Almunajjed from Saudi Arabia. She has worked extensively with United Nations agencies and NGOs in the Arab region and has contributed immensely to the development of crafts in the region. Dr. Mona spoke about the Crafts of Saudi Arabia to the members of the crafts community and the public. She was happy to visit some of the crafts centers in Chennai.

Education: After the successful completion of the first term of the WCC Crafts Education Programme, shell craft was introduced during the second session from January 2010 to March 2010. The children were very enthusiastic in learning how to make models of flowers, birds and animals from shells.

Networking: It has been a great recognition and privilege that WCC was invited to attend some very important events, as listed below.

In March, I was invited to attend the 7th International Film Festival on Clay and Glass organized by the Ateliers D’Art de France. Nearly 1700 festival goers gathered at the Corum in Montpellier in the south of France. The festival primarily focused on stimulating international cultural exchanges, and deepening technical knowledge of ceramics and glass creation around the world. The UNESCO Clay Award and the Festival Goers Award were won by “Ben Nafa Ka Tia” by Jeanne Delafosse. The film was phenomenal as it followed the work of women potters in the village of Ouolonkoto in Burkina Faso.

In May I travelled within India with a couple of trips to New Delhi to attend the European Union Day in New Delhi and to meet with the Government to plan out upcoming WCC programs.

In June, I was invited to attend the Cairo Forum, a joint initiative between the French Cultural Council of the Union for the Mediterranean and the Industrial Modernization Centre of Egypt, and was asked to be a signatory to the Cairo Document. For details, please click here.

Again in June, it was my pleasure to have been invited to participate in the 2010 International Patchwork and Embroidery Festival in Golcuk Municipality, Turkey. Craftspeople from different parts of the world attended. For details, please click here.

Mrs.Usha Krishna with theDirector of IRCICA Dr.Halit Eren

I took this opportunity to visit the RESEARCH CENTRE for ISLAMIC HISTORY, ART and CULTURE (IRCICA) and The Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Art and Vocational Training Institute (ISMEK). The Museum at IRCICA and the courses offered at ISMEK were truly impressive.

Through these events and visits, I was able to make several contacts and witness the remarkable efforts being made to empower crafts people around the world.

Visit to iSMEK

At WCC we are preparing for the next major project, an International Jewellery Convention. Abushan – Design Dialogues in Jewellery will be held in New Delhi from Feb 4th to 6th 2011. The three day convention comprises seminars, exhibition, workshops and bazaar. For details click here.

We will be writing to you again with more details and the information will also be available at the WCC website. We are expecting members, academicians, jewellers, students and crafts people.

We are writing in advance so that you can block these dates in your calendar.

Regards,

Usha Krishna