Felting colony in Loznica
The first felting colony was held in Tršić near Loznica from February 8 to 11, organized by the Ethno Network, the city of Loznica and NALED, and under the auspices of the embassies of the United States of America, Canada and Belgium. During the four days, 17 women from Loznica, Sabac, Sombor, Kikinda, Sremska Mitrovica, Pancevo, Kladovo and Novi Pazar, mastered the skills of felting, manual rolling of wool, which is considered one of the oldest techniques. Among the participants was a student at the Faculty of Applied Arts in Belgrade.
The program of the colony, which took place in the Scientific, educational and cultural center "Vuk Karadzic", included an expert lecture on the topic of jadar motif, which promotes the natural beauty and identity of the Radjevina region. The task of the pusters was to show exactly this motif on the chair mats. They also participated in a workshop on the topic of psychological empowerment of women "Entrepreneurial and their own". Thanks to the Tourist Organization of the city of Loznica, they visited, with expert guidance, Vuk's house in Tršić, Banja Koviljača, ethno complex Sunčana reka, gallery Mića Popović and the Museum of Sails in Loznica.
As part of the diplomatic day, the colony was visited by the Belgian ambassador Adam Kuhn and the mayor of Loznica Vidoje Petrovic, and Brian Ebel, the Canadian deputy ambassador, and Anne Godfrey, the wife of the American ambassador to Serbia, addressed the participants of the colony via a video link. Violeta Jovanović, president of the Ethno Network, expressed her gratitude to the patrons for their support and for the opportunities that enable women who deal with handicrafts to create a source of income and employment.
Through training programs, Ethno network popularized the technique of carnival and built local associations in Pancevo, Sremska Mitrovica and Loznica, which are excellent at making pieces with authentic motifs. Thanks to the members of the local craft associations Mina Karadžić, Riznica and Kreativna vizija, as well as the educator of the Ethno Network Snežana Jovanović, women of the colony who met the wet felt for the first time successfully mastered this technique, and the experienced deserters enriched their knowledge.
On the last day of the colony, the participants were awarded certificates for participation in the first colony, and the most successful pusters were awarded special recognitions, for the best work in the category of color innovation Milojka Lalović from Loznica, for the best work in the category of technical correctness Olga Žolnaj-Jokanović from Pancevo and for the most beautiful piece in the felting technique of Olgica Savić from Sremska Mitrovica.
