The class in PGTLP-c. Popovo was held on the 7th November 2023 and took the form of an interactive lesson on the ZOOM platform with teacher Dr. Niki Collier from her studio in Marlay Park, Dublin.
This was the first lesson of the project with students.
Dr. Niki Collier, who was born in Popovo but now lives in Dublin – demonstrated the art of felting to the students, told them about what inspires her and showed some of her projects. There was also a short overview of Irish Knots and Braids.
Future artists majoring in “Fashion Design” and “Graphic Design” attended the class and tried felting. The class was also attended by Mrs. Karolina Markova, director of PGTLP-c. Popovo, Mrs. Rositsa Hristova representative of community center “St. St. Cyril and Methodius”. The future designers made felted wool bags for the first time with the help of their supervisors – Eng. Desislava Ignatova and Dimtrinka Stoykova – two educators who specialise in theory and practice of the “Fashion Design” . They were also given a challenge – to decorate the finished works with Celtic knots, which are part of Ireland’s cultural heritage. The next stage of the project will be for the students from PGTLP to tell Irish artists associated with Richmond Barracks about Bulgarian embroidery and costumes. The designers and their managers have also prepared a challenge for the Irish artists. More about this class can be read here. The initiative was reported in the press.
The idea of Dr. Niki Collier and Eng. Desislava Ignatova is for the project to grow into a larger-scale event, in which the study of the culture and traditions of the two peoples will be carried out in a long-term and ambitious international project.
