Traditional clothing from across Spain will be in the spotlight in La Orotava this October, as Tenerife hosts the first National Congress of Traditional Dress.
The event takes place on 2 and 3 October at the Centro de la Cultura de La Orotava, and it has already attracted almost a hundred registrations from people across Spain.
Organised by the Cabildo de Tenerife, through the Island’s Sectoral Council for Traditional Dress, the congress aims to create a meeting point for researchers, craftspeople, conservators and others involved in protecting and promoting traditional clothing.
Eleven speakers from across Spain
The congress will bring together 11 speakers from different parts of Spain, including Zamora, Valencia, Soria and the Canary Islands.
Over the two days, speakers will look at traditional clothing from a range of perspectives, including history, anthropology, ethnography, craftsmanship and cultural heritage.
There will also be discussions, round tables and other activities designed to encourage people working in different areas to share research, experience and ideas.
Efraín Medina, Tenerife’s Councillor for Employment and Education, said the strong response showed the interest in researching and preserving traditional dress properly.
And that is really the point of the event. These aren’t simply old clothes sitting in a cupboard somewhere. They can tell us quite a lot about how people lived, worked and identified themselves in different parts of Spain.
Why La Orotava?
La Orotava is a fitting location for the first national event of its kind, given the municipality’s long connection with the preservation and promotion of Tenerife’s traditions and cultural heritage.
The organisers hope the congress will become a regular forum for sharing research, good practice and knowledge about traditional textile heritage.
There is also a strong focus on passing that knowledge on to younger generations, helping to preserve both the physical garments and the stories, techniques and traditions connected to them.
With almost a hundred people already registered before the event has even started, there clearly isn’t a shortage of interest.