Photo: Pulso Austral
Creative Laboratories in Patagonia National Park: contributing to the development of a textile identity in Chile Chico
The icy wind coming from the lake, the colors of the steppe, and the textures of the local cactus all were the inspiration for eight women artisans from the commune of Chile Chico who were part of the first textile laboratory "Crafts and Nature: Creative Laboratories in the Patagonia National Park."
Catalina Camus and Cecilia Moura, both professionals from the regional organization Pulso Austral, facilitated the first classes for this group of women through a structured collaborative program designed with the territory in mind under the auspices of the Friends of the Patagonia National Park program of the Rewilding Chile Foundation.
“Here, there were no handicrafts until a few years ago; there was not much talk about wool, the potters have not been working for long, so it is great to recreate and highlight some identity,” says Viviana Ulloa, a textile artisan who has been living in Chile Chico for five years, but has been coming and going to this town for 30 years.
In the first stage, the Pulso Austral team worked for three days getting to know experiences, connecting with the artisans, developing the diagnosis, and artistic exploration. They hope to meet again in September to continue with experimentation and textile design, ending in December with a collaborative collection that will be exhibited to the community.
“We were able to get to know each other, talk, and reflect on the origins of the crafts and the elements that identify their territory. Together, we delved into crafts with a local identity and were inspired by experiences from other territories,” said journalist and historian Catalina Camus, facilitator of the workshop.
"This laboratory was not born out of an idea but is based on a survey of information with local artisans, where we identified what was missing and sought to develop it with Pulso Austral and all the experience they have had in the region, contributing to the generation of local economies,"
Promoting economic development based on conservation is one of the main focuses of Fundación Rewilding Chile’s initiatives, which work to turn national parks into engines of local economies.
Carolina Cerda, director of Community Outreach at Fundación Rewilding Chile, emphasized this point, adding that the aim is also to help the artisans develop a local textile identity.
“This laboratory was not born out of an idea but is based on a survey of information with local artisans, where we identified what was missing and sought to develop it with Pulso Austral and all the experience they have had in the region, contributing to the generation of local economies,” explained Carolina.
We invite you to learn more about our activities at www.rewildingchile.org and our Instagram and Facebook account @amigos_PN_patagonia.