National Taiwan Craft Research and Development Institute based in the central county of Nantou hosted an online and in-person seminar Dec. 11, which brought together craft makers from Taiwan and Japan, according to the Ministry of Culture.
Discussions centered on the development of crafts in communities and educational campuses and their influence on regional revitalization.
Representatives from Japan’s Fukushima Prefecture Mishima Town Local Crafts Museum and Miyagi Prefecture Sendai City Industrial Promotion Organization were invited to join discussions.
Igarashi Yoshinobu, head of the Mishima-based museum, said the facility was established in 1986 to promote handicrafts as part of revitalizing the local area. He added that the museum has hosted an annual craft festival for 38 years.
Li Wan-ling, director of Baolai Organization in southern city Kaohsiung’s Liouguei District, said that her participation in the 2019 Mishima craft festival inspired her to initiate an annual event in Liouguei, which combines crafts, food and agricultural produce contributing to revitalizing the local economy.
Speaking at the symposium, NTCRI Director Chen Tien-li said that craft events educated students and communities and encouraged people to engage in creative activities and further develop Taiwan’s craft ecosystem.
Source: Taiwan Today (https://taiwantoday.tw/index.php)
