The 1st National Crafts Festival in Bahia (Fenaba) will be held between the 17th and 19th of May, at Arena Fonte Nova, in Salvador. The event promises to be a great encounter between arts, knowledge, traditions and a lot of creativity in an extensive program for the whole family.
According to information from the Secretariat of Labor, Employment, Income and Sport (Setre), in addition to selling products, the festival will have a fair, business hall, artisanal fashion show, qualification activities, children’s space, gastronomy, cultural events and shows. Entry will be free, with 3,500 visitors expected per day.
Inspired by the expression “Faith in Bahia”, Fenaba will promote exchanges between more than 200 artisans and artisans from the 20 Bahia Craft Routes, 20 masters, six crafts associations, representing the Federation of Artisans Associations of the State of Bahia. Bahia – FAAEB and ten National Federations representing the Brazilian Confederation of Craftsmen – Conart – Brazil.
In addition to Bahia, the states of Alagoas, Amapá, Ceará, Espírito Santo, Maranhão, Piauí, Sergipe, São Paulo and the Federal District will be present. The festival will occupy levels 6, 7 and 8 of Arena Fonte Nova and will have 235 stands. State public servants will have discounts of 5% to 15% when purchasing products.
From gossip to goldsmithing
Visitors will find a variety of craft techniques, such as lace, embroidery, weaving, painting, ceramics, wood carving, braiding, crochet, yo-yo, goldsmithing, retail sewing, nets and objects produced from raw materials such as coconut. , straw, fiber, piassava, seeds, fish scales and shells. They are pieces that result from different typologies, which tell a story and exalt the creativity of artisans from different regions of Bahia and Brazil.
In addition to bringing together representatives of important artisanal production hubs in the country in one place, Fenaba will provide artisans from Bahia with greater visibility and opportunities to sell their products. The event also aims to articulate public policies aimed at the development of crafts, with the appreciation of artists and actions aimed at generating work and income.
The 1st National Crafts Festival in Bahia (Fenaba) is organized by the Government of the State of Bahia, through Setre, Coordination for the Promotion of Crafts – CFA, Bahia Crafts Program, and the Secretariats of Culture (Secult), the Tourism (Setur) and Promotion of Racial Equality (Sepromi). The event is co-hosted by Pau Viola and supported by Associação Fábrica Cultural.
“The Festival is an unprecedented event in Bahia, which will bring together the art and work of professionals from the main craft centers in Brazil here in Salvador. Bahia will be represented by artisans from all 20 craft routes in the state. The Festival has a cultural, economic dimension with income generation, tourism, promoting Bahia and attracting visitors to our state”, says Davidson Magalhães, secretary of Setre.
Strong female presence
With a majority presence of female exhibitors, including artisans and masters, the festival celebrates the strength of female entrepreneurship, highlighting crafts as an instrument of empowerment that translates into a craft that generates income and financial independence for many of them.
One of the highlights will be the presence of master artisan Maria do Carmo Amorim, 76 years old, from the fourth generation of a family of women lacemakers from Saubara who had their lives transformed by crafts. For the artisan, Fenaba is a celebration of the art and culture of Bahia.
“I am happy with this festival. I have participated in events in other states and I missed bringing together our people, our culture and meeting our artisan friends at an event like this. After the pandemic, we were very worried about the direction of our work. The festival is the opportunity to show our power. Because Bahia is a powerhouse in crafts and culture”, he states.
Maria do Carmo is the founder of the Saubara Artisans Association, which currently brings together 53 artisans. They are women who help transform the ancestral bobbin technique to become recognized throughout Brazil and even in other countries. The success is so great that, recently, the work of these artists ended up on TV screens. They were responsible for making the lace pieces that cover the wedding dress of Maria Santa, known as Santinha, a character played by actress Duda Santos, in the remake of the soap opera “Renascer”.
“The Crafts Festival is a major event for crafts in Bahia. The expectation is that there will be a large volume of sales and that the public will come and get in touch with the diversity of crafts in our state. It is the first time that we will have such a large number of artisans coming from all over the state of Bahia”, says Weslen Moreira, coordinator of Fomento ao Artesanato – CFA.
Programming and spaces
Fenaba will open to the public on the 17th, at 3pm, and the official opening ceremony will be at 5pm with the presence of authorities.
Level 6 of Arena Fonte Nova is the fair space that will contain the majority of product sales stands. On the floor, there will also be a gastronomic space, a children’s playground, a Solidarity Economy space, a Business Hall and a mini stage, where artistic and musical performances will take place.
On Level 7, visitors will be able to explore spaces dedicated to honoring ancient tradition and culture. Highlight is the “Space Masters and Masters”, where renowned artists share their knowledge and promote the preservation and transmission of knowledge and craft techniques for future generations. The “Space for Original and Traditional Peoples” will also be highlighted, which will showcase all the richness of Bahia’s indigenous and quilombola art and culture.
On the same floor, Fenaba visitors will discover the ‘Espaço Conceito’, an immersive exhibition that reproduces a scene of a house decorated with a mix of utilitarian handcrafted pieces for everyday life, showing how the use of crafts in decoration can create beauty , personality and functionality for environments. Qualification workshops will also take place on site, where visitors and artisans will learn and improve craft techniques.
In the external area of Level 7, the main stage will host shows with big names in Bahian and national music, such as Paulinho da Viola, who will perform on the 18th (Saturday). The singer and composer from Rio de Janeiro performs at the end of the national tour commemorating his 80th birthday, returning to Salvador after nine years with a repertoire rich in samba and choro for the festival’s audience.
On Level 8 of the Arena Fonte Nova, the auditorium hosts the 2nd Meeting of Artisans and Craftsmen Artesanato da Bahia and the panels with the themes “Crafts and Female Entrepreneurship” and “Crafts Business”.
To get to Fenaba, the public should preferably use Ladeira da Fonte. For those traveling by car, parking will be located on Level 2 of Arena Fonte Nova, with access via Dique do Tororó.
Service:
- 1st National Crafts Festival in Bahia (Fenaba)
- Date: May 17th to 19th, 2024 (Friday, Saturday and Sunday)
- Location: Arena Fonte Nova (Levels 6,7 and 8)
Time:
- 17/05 (Friday): from 10am to 10pm
- 18/05 (Saturday): from 10am to 10pm
- 19/05 (Sunday): from 10am to 7pm
Access: Ladeira da Fonte
Free entrance
State public servants will have a 5% to 15% discount on product purchases
Parking: N2 (Entry via Dique) – R$ 20
