Bahrain - The Bani Jamra Naseej Factory, inaugurated yesterday in the village renowned for its traditional textile craft, aims to weave a new future for the industry.
The BD220,000 project provides three looms on which artisans can learn and weave – a significant upgrade from the single loom that the village had to depend on for many years.
“With this launch, we conclude a year of continuous cultural activities despite the great challenges and obstacles posed by the Covid-19 crisis, and the Bani Jamra textile factory reflects our efforts in a year laden with Bahraini cultural achievements,” said Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities (Baca) president Shaikha Mai bint Mohammed Al Khalifa.
“Preserving handicrafts and traditional industries is one of Baca’s priorities. We are pinning our hopes on creators and innovators who contribute to culture by continuing to operate in an ancient tradition such as weaving, which dates back more than a century in this region.”
Shaikha Mai referred to the new factory as the “fruit of co-operation with the local community in order to upgrade the kingdom’s cultural infrastructure and promote sustainable development,” explaining that handicrafts have an important role in promoting local businesses.
Numerous creative products, including those produced by the textile weavers of Bani Jamra will be showcased at Expo 2020 in Dubai, scheduled to start in October 2021.
While the village at one time had more than 50 looms, with one in three out of four homes, in recent years, younger generations of weaving families have gone on to work in oil and other industries.
The factory the village previously relied on, for more than 20 years, consisted of a single loom placed in the centre of a cramped room.
The new factory was constructed with the involvement and input of the local community, and the inauguration was attended by the village’s dignitaries as well as representatives from the local charitable fund and sports club.
It pays homage to tradition with a palm-inspired design by Leopold Banchini, blended with a modern look to attract tourists and educate Bahraini citizens and residents about the craft.
“The design is inspired by the ‘areesh,’ which is the traditional palm frond architecture in Bahrain, which used to be prevalent in rural settings, as well as by the sea,” Noura Al Sayeh, head of architectural affairs at Baca, told the GDN.
The weavers have started getting commissions from designers in Bahrain and regionally, and the factory will serve as a production hub, storefront and educational centre.
In addition to the gift shop at the factory, textile products weaved by Bani Jamra’s artisans will also be available for sale at the Al Jasra Handicrafts Centre and the National Museum. A staff member will be on hand to explain the process to interested visitors, who can also learn from the weavers.
“We have also built small spaces throughout the facility, where visitors can sit and observe the artisans at work,” Ms Al Sayeh explained.
“We are also planning to have workshops for those interested in the craft. We want to encourage the next generation of traditional artisans. One of Baca’s big initiatives is training over 40 young artisans in the craft of weaving, with the hope that they can continue the transmission of knowledge of these crafts.”
One local artisan, Habib Al Jamri, has been working with Scottish textile artist Mhairi Boyle and believes that the new factory will spark a growing interest amongst his children and other young Bahrainis to take up the craft.
His son Mahdi was spotted experimenting on one of the three looms, while the nine-year-old’s grandfather worked on another, a few feet away.
The centre is open to the public from Saturday to Thursday 8am to 1pm in the morning and from 3pm to 5pm in the afternoon.
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