The main events of the International Festival of Handicrafters began in ancient and young Kokand. The conference is attended by over 100 honored guests from foreign countries, skilled artisans, famous cultural figures, art scholars, and media workers.
The presentation of the project “Online Encyclopedia of Crafts in Asia Pacific Region (APR) Traditional Handmade Products” was held within the framework of the festival.
At the event, which was attended by the Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Uzbekistan A. Ikramov, President of the World Crafts Council-Asia Pacific Region (WCC-APR) Ghada Hijjawi-Qaddumi, it was noted that this festival is a forum of friendship and consent on a global scale.
This encyclopedia contains 445 entries from 120 writers from the 50 countries of the Asia Pacific Region. It is a unique and majestic overview of the creative spirit that continues to ornament our rich and diverse part of the globe. This is a flagship project under the Presidency of Ghada Hijjawi-Qaddumi. According to Dr Ghada, “The project of the Encyclopedia of Handicrafts emerges from my enthusiasm and sense of duty to serve the World Crafts Council’s mission and objectives to nurture, strengthen and promote an important component of humanity’s cultural heritage, which hopefully creates awareness of cultural differences that will eventually lead to networking, that promotes intercultural dialogue which will consequently bring them to know each other, accept one another and ultimately establish friendship, harmony and peace”.
Spiritual and educational events within the framework of the festival make an unforgettable impression on foreign guests.
Various exhibitions of handicrafts, works of fine and applied arts, ancient handicraft machines, demonstration of the process of creating products, feature films and documentaries, books, albums, photographs about craftsmanship, art programs give the festival a special charm.
You can meet hundreds of artisans, industry experts, cultural and art workers from all over the country, from near and far abroad on Urda Square. All of them are in a festive mood.
The international scientific-practical conference on “Prospects for development of handicraft and folk-applied art” is attended by scientists, specialists, high-ranking honored guests, representatives of the spheres of culture and tourism from more than 30 foreign countries, professors and teachers of domestic and foreign higher education institutions, students, art historians, museologists, artisans.
The festival continues.
By Sher Karimov
