HANGZHOU, China, July 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- On July 9, the inaugural workshop on "ICH Safeguarding, Ethics, and Commercialization" under UNESCO's two-year "ICH as Fashion" capacity-building initiative (2025-2026) commenced at China National Silk Museum (CNSM). Co-organized by the UNESCO Regional Office for East Asia and CNSM, this training also served as a design workshop for the activation and innovation of Silk Road cultural heritage as part of "2025 SILK ROAD WEEK".
Participant sharing insights during the workshop
The workshop recruited ICH practitioners, fashion students, and emerging designers from East Asia, with 32 participants selected for on-site attendance. Distinguished speakers included:
- Ananya Bhattacharya and Tara Gujadhur, members of UNESCO Global Facilitators Network;
- Prof. Wang Xiaocan, member of the National Technical Committee for the Protection and Inheritance of Ethnic Minority Costumes Standardization;
- Dr. Vikrant Kishore, Associate Professor of International Communications & Creative Industries at University of Nottingham Ningbo China.
Centered on "ICH Safeguarding, Ethics, and Commercialization", the four-day immersive program delved into: Core concepts of ICH, traditional cultural expressions, design practices, and ethical principles; Methodologies for storytelling, representation, and digital documentation; Collaborative frameworks between ICH bearers and designers, emphasizing equity-based commercialization; Action plan drafting (individual/team-based) for the project's two-year trajectory.
Beyond showcasing silk culture, CNSM is a dedicated ICH safeguarding institution. As the custodian of UNESCO-listed Chinese sericulture and silk craftsmanship and chair of the China Sericulture ICH Alliance, it has spearheaded initiatives including "Global Showcase" touring exhibitions, integrating Demonstrations of "Beyond the Mulberry Fields: China Sericulture Intangible Cultural Heritages", academic forums, workshops, campus outreach, and Silk Road cultural promotion. At present, CNSM is establishing the Textile ICH Committee under the China Intangible Cultural Heritage Association, aiming to unite broader textile ICH projects for collaborative preservation and innovation.