European Felt Festival - Histoire de Laines

EUROPEAN FELT
FESTIVAL
- May 1st-4 st 2009 -
Felletin - Creuse (France)
Made by
Margriet BARANTIN - SINTZEN,
artist feltmaker
Furthers information/Reservations :
Tourist Information office
Place Quinault - 23500 FELLETIN
Tél. 00 33 5 55 66 54 60
E-mail : ot@felletin.fr www.histoiresdelaine.fr
IPNS - Document réalisé avec le concours de M. et Mme Chavigny - Crédits photos : Office de Tourisme de Felletin et Krystel Chavigny

Edito…
European Felt Festival
The year 2009 has been declared «the
International Year for Natural Fibres » by O.N.U,
and the first Felt Festival will be held in Felletin,
Creuse (France), from may 1st to may 4th 2009.
A real craze through Western Europe already,
this will be the fisrt ever event of the kind in
France.
Born from cooperation between women
felt-makers and the wool industry support
committee, it will be the second wool event
organized in Felletin. A local group of crafts
designers are taking part in the development of
the wool industry ans its skills, which involves
felting quite naturally.
The felt festival wishes introduce the public to a
large range of felt products and to its different
uses in textile, art or industrial productions. Dues
to its varied and easy uses, felt is becoming very
popular in creative leisure activities.
The professionnal side of this felt festival will be
centred on training sessions and exhanges with
other european networks of felt-makers.
Jacques CHABRAT, Président de l’Office de Tourisme de Felletin
& Patrick MOUTARDE, Chambre d’Agriculture de la Creuse
Programme of the Felt festival
More than 10 000 visitors expected in Felletin
The Felt Festival : An introducing to wool felting
�A 4 day artistic felting exhibition, with a prize awared by the public.
A hand-made felt crafts market in the centre of the city (Saturday and Sunday), with over 40 art
crafts market showing their skills and selling their works.
�Sale of wools from the local mills.
�Showing of documentary films about the traditionnal techniques troughout the world.
�Educational exhibitions for the public and schoolchildren.
�A presentation of the different possibilities offered by felting : yurt-making, insulation…
�Introductory workshops to manual felt-making, aimed at children and adult beginners.
�Guided tours of the Terrade wool mill, the only public one in the Limousin aera.
A Festival for professionals over 3 days :
�Specialized workshops and training sessions (technique, Home decoration, Housing)
�Technical conferences and talks (producers, wool industry)
�A designers’ contest, « Felt all around », emphasing on the use of felt products in the house, with a
prize awarded by a jury of professional people.