Irthi and Family Development organise a Talli workshop in Kalba

Interactive space for arts

Council employees provided the participants with a simple educational experience to learn the basics of the Talli craft, transforming the hall into an interactive space for experimentation and learning. This enhanced the connection of elderly women with authentic Emirati heritage and provided them with the opportunity to engage in an enjoyable community activity.

Irthi's efforts to support elderly artisans

Over the years, the Irthi Contemporary Crafts Council has provided a pioneering model for supporting and empowering Emirati artisans, with a special focus on elderly women, who formed the initial nucleus of the Council's network. Since its establishment in 2015 in Sharjah, the Council has contributed to providing training and production platforms that preserve the expertise of this age group (aged 50–65), giving them renewed social and economic value.

With the expansion of its programmes, the Council has been able to open the way for young artisans to join alongside experienced ones, forming a community of generations that connects the past with the present.

The Irthi initiatives have also contributed to integrating older artisans into the development movement, helping them blend contemporary designs with the traditional crafts they inherited from their mothers. This has attracted the attention of young designers and creative industry leaders to their heritage products, to which they have added a contemporary touch.

Through training programmes and global partnerships with prestigious design houses, the Council has provided artisans, including older ones, with opportunities to generate income and market their heritage products on international platforms, emphasising that supporting artisans is an investment in sustainable development and the preservation of cultural heritage.