The first International Handicrafts Festival is looking to raise the global status of the art, said Pouya Mahmoudian, the cultural heritage, handicrafts and tourism deputy minister for handicrafts and traditional arts.

The Iranian official made the remarks at the closing ceremony of the event in Isfahan, central Iran, on Tuesday.

Mahmoudian also offered his gratitude to the international guests of the festival for sharing their experiences, as Iran will be looking forward to future collaborations.

Guests from Britain, India, Singapore, Thailand, Australia, Malaysia, Kuwait, Bangladesh, Uzbekistan, and Palestine were among the attendees at the three-day event.

“Iran is a prominent country in the field of handicrafts as is capable of playing a major role in the joint plans of the World Crafts Council. I hope the outcome of the festival will help promote the global status of handicrafts,” the Iranian official said.

Meanwhile, Lindy Joubert, the director of UNESCO Observatory on Multi-Disciplinary Research in the Arts from Victoria University in Australia, addressed the ceremony, through a videoconference, about the challenges facing the preservation of handicrafts and traditional arts throughout the world.

Additionally, artists were awarded in different categories of the festival.

Source: Iran daily