On 28 and 29 September, workshops were held in the Junco and Malhada communities in the territory of Riacho dos Negros (state of Piauí, Brazil) to teach two traditional crafts linked to the local culture of the region: pottery and crochet.
The workshops, which form part of the core Quilombola Environmental Plan , lasted 16 hours and were attended by 40 people of all ages.
Several weeks ago, Sanclé Couto, our social manager in Piauí, contacted Mrs. Emidia Rodrigues, a descendant of a Quilombola family that has passed on the art of ceramics from father to son for two generations, for her to give the workshop on ceramic artefacts to the participants.
Emidia Rodrigues spoke of the importance of keeping art alive as a form of expression and cultural identity, but also stressed that nowadays, young people have been losing interest in maintaining local cultural traditions.
Pictures of Emidia Rodrigues during the workshop:
“Sharing this knowledge with others is the way to keep our spirit alive,” explained Emidia Rodrigues.
“We want them to learn and ensure the transmission of traditional knowledge, which carries a significant historical and cultural importance and at the same time we are aiming for it to become a long-term productive project”, stated Pablo Flores.
Pictures taken during the craft workshop:
