site.btaOver 200 Participants from 28 Countries Attending 21st World Lace Congress in Karlovo
Over 200 participants from 28 countries are taking part in the 21st World Lace Congress and General Assembly of the International Bobbin and Needle Lace Organization (OIDFA), held at the National Community Centre in Karlovo from August 16 to 18. This is the first time the OIDFA is holding this annual event in Bulgaria. Visitors and participants are able to view works of art made of lace in a style characteristic of each country.
The Congress is organized by the OIDFA and the Bulgarian Centre for Bobbin and Needle Lace, with the support of the Ministry of Culture and the Vasil Levski - 1861 Community Centre. The celebrations and events are held under the auspices of the President's wife, Desislava Radeva.
The forum dedicated to bobbin lace was officially opened on Saturday with a symbolic ribbon-cutting ceremony. Among the official guests at the event were Plamen Slavov, Secretary to the Bulgarian President for Culture, and representatives of OIDFA.
In Karlovo, a number of countries are represented by panels and stands, including the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Belgium, Slovenia, the United States, South Africa and Australia. Poland's abstract composition features lace and paint. Japan is represented with the traditional art of hanging decorations tsurushi kazari. Visitors have the opportunity to view an interesting marine painting from New Zealand, made of lace and wooden ornaments. The Norwegian panel is decorated with ornaments depicting traditional tiles that can be found around the fireplaces of older homes there.
Antoaneta Parvanova, Chair of the Bulgarian Centre for Bobbin and Needle Lace, told BTA that each country shows its development in the art of lace. "All this is surprising for our visitors, as this is the first time such a forum has been held in our country. Contemporary lace is on display here, with people making jewellery, paintings and three-dimensional installations," she noted. The aim of the forum is for participants to exchange experience, establish future contacts and remain up to date in what they do, the organisers added.
In parallel with the World Lace Congress, this weekend the nearby town of Kalofer is hosting the annual Festival of Kalofer Lace, a vibrant celebration of craftsmanship, tradition, and artistic heritage. The event honors the delicate bobbin lace that has become a symbol of the town’s cultural identity.
Shuttle lace began its development in Kalofer as early as 1910. Between 1910 and 1935, there was a lace school in the town that taught girls the intricacies of lace-making. The organisers of the Congress point out that this craft is currently undergoing a revival and the art continues to develop. One of the goals of the event is to promote it. "We hope this will be a step towards the revival of textile art, because lace is part of it," commented the Bulgarian Centre for Bobbin and Needle Lace.
In addition to the Bulgarian stand, which is part of the World Lace Congress, visitors and participants are able to see other traditional Bulgarian products and crafts. These include wood carving, loom weaving, Bulgarian rose products, copper jewellery and others.
The Congress programme includes lectures, competitions, workshops and exhibitions presenting various techniques and traditions in bobbin lace making from around the world. Folklore music and dance performances are also planned.
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