“Koło Igłą Malowane” Embroidery Circle, Więcbork, Poland
To celebrate Intangible Cultural Heritage Day, the UNESCO Chair in Living Heritage and Sustainable Livelihoods in Canada collaborated with the “Koło Igłą Malowane” Embroidery Circle from Więcbork, Poland, in a series of initiatives highlighting embroidery as a living tradition—a dynamic form of cultural expression and a source of community livelihood.
The initiative focused on the documentation, promotion, and intergenerational transmission of local embroidery practices deeply rooted in regional identity and craftsmanship. The Chair’s team worked closely with the embroiderers to record their techniques, motifs, and oral histories, contributing to a growing archive of community-based knowledge. As part of the celebrations, several workshops and demonstrations were organized at local festivals and cultural events, offering the public opportunities to engage with traditional embroidery and understand its cultural significance. These gatherings became vibrant spaces for dialogue, creative exchange, and skill-sharing among artisans, researchers, and local residents.
To promote international exchange and cross-cultural learning, the project also welcomed experts from France, Korea, and Finland, who shared insights into their own embroidery traditions, documentation techniques, and methods of safeguarding textile heritage. These encounters fostered new perspectives on embroidery as both an artistic expression and a sustainable livelihood practice.
One of the tangible outcomes of this collaboration was a book by Pawlowska-Mainville, Living Heritage Landscapes: An Anthropological Approach to Intangible Cultural Heritage and Language Valuation in Canada and Poland (published by the National Folk Museum of Korea, ISBN 978-89-289-0427-3). The publication features photographs of embroidered works, the artists themselves, and symbolic motifs that connect local identity with seasonal cycles and community celebrations. A visual calendar, to be released in 2026, will serve not only as a visual record but also as a tool for raising awareness and appreciation of intangible cultural heritage.
Additionally, the embroidery circle established a partnership with a local folk school group & local park, involving children in designing and sewing folk-style uniforms inspired by traditional patterns. This intergenerational initiative supports the transmission of skills, creativity, and cultural pride among younger generations, ensuring that embroidery continues to thrive as a living and evolving practice.
Through these activities, the collaboration between Koło Igłą Malowane, the Intanctilis ICH Research Group, and the UNESCO Chair reaffirmed its commitment to supporting artisans, promoting creative livelihoods, and fostering international dialogue around living heritage—and the many ways it connects communities across borders.
Learn more: https://mgokwiecbork.pl/33871
Text as provided by the organiser(s).
