As part of the accompanying programme of the Week of Traditional Crafts, the Regional Ethnographic Museum – Plovdiv opened the photo exhibition “Traditional Crafts – Knowledge, Skills, Creativity, Magic.”

The exhibition presents works by Photography students from the Academy of Music, Dance and Fine Arts “Prof. Assen Diamandiev” – Plovdiv and is dedicated to master artisans of traditional crafts – bearers and guardians of knowledge, skills, and living cultural practices passed down through generations.

Through the lens of these young photographers, visitors are invited to explore traditional crafts as a form of living heritage that preserves the memory of the relationship between people, nature, and community. The photographs capture not only the process of creating handcrafted objects but also the personalities of the artisans, their creativity, and the place of traditional crafts in contemporary urban life.

The exhibition is part of the project “The Living Heritage of Traditional Crafts – Promotion and Engagement,” implemented by the Regional Centre for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage in South-Eastern Europe under the auspices of UNESCO.

Established in 2012, the Centre is the only institution of its kind in Europe and forms part of UNESCO’s global network of Category 2 Centres. Its mission is to foster cooperation in the field of safeguarding intangible cultural heritage at national, regional, and international levels, while developing initiatives for its promotion throughout South-Eastern Europe.

Through its extensive network of 17 Member States, the Centre actively supports the preservation and promotion of the region’s living heritage, with traditional crafts occupying a special place as an essential element of cultural identity and continuity.