The Creative Cross-Pollination between Como (Italy) and San Cristobal de Las Casas (Mexico), April 3rd, 2019

ITKI US is promoting the “Creative Textile” project. This project involves local textile experts and artisans exchanging and sharing their practices, resources and knowledge. The project is an initiative in which all cities in the world, from East to West, can participate creating connections and links between the local knowledge keepers and mutually contributing to the professional development of a new group of globalized creative experts.
The objective of the project is to strengthen collaboration between cities and UNESCO Creative Cities Network clusters through the sharing of resources and creative events, involving Knowledge Keepers in new experiences derived from “Creative Cross-Pollination” events.

The first deep connection of the Como City is with San Cristóbal De Las Casas (MX), UNESCO Creative City of Crafts and Folk Art, April 3rd, 2019. As in Como is possible to find an unique expertise in working silk, in San Cristóbal de Las Casas is possible to find coloured and enchanting textiles, creative patterns, artistic embroidery and sublime shawls which identify the City and its traditional artisans of Mayan’s descent as unique in the world.
The result of this first “Creative Cross-Pollination” has been presented during the UCC Annual Meeting in Fabriano, where have been exposed the clothes made by the artisans of San Cristóbal de Las Casas with the Como silk and the clothes made by Como craftsmen using traditional Mayan designs.

The project is in line with the Declaration of Paducah (2017), the Declaration of San Cristobal de Las Casas (2018) and with the UN2030 SDGs objective 8 (To promote lasting, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all) and the objective 17 (Reinforce the meanings of implementation and revitalize global collaborations for sustainable development).