The High Commission of Sri Lanka in the UK, together with the National Crafts Council of Sri Lanka (NCC), hosted a Round Table Discussion on Sri Lankan crafts recently.

Over 25 participants attended, including academics from the London College of Fashion (UAL), an EU Craft Work Project expert, entrepreneurs, retailers, representatives from the Sri Lanka–UK Chamber of Commerce, Friends of Sri Lanka Association, writers, and craft enthusiasts.

High Commissioner Nimal Senadheera stressed the need to raise awareness, educate enthusiasts, and create stronger commercial channels while preserving authenticity of Sri Lankan crafts.

 Dr. Ayesha Wickramasinghe, Chairperson of the NCC and Senior Lecturer at the Department of Textile and Apparel Engineering, University of Moratuwa outlined ongoing initiatives to preserve traditional crafts, promote innovation, and improve access to local and global markets.

Her visit to the UK along with Dr. Sumith Gopura, Senior Lecturer at the Department of Textile and Apparel Engineering, University of Moratuwa and a member of the NCC Board of Directors, was made possible through the British Council’s “Connections through Culture” grant programes under which she and her team was engaged in the project “Empowering Handloom Artistry”.

The outcome of this project has been showcased through “Threaded Heritage” exhibition, at Cardiff Metropolitan University and the University of Reading who were the project partners from the UK.

Minister (Commercial), Somasena Mahadiulwewa, during the Q&A session, highlighted challenges including funding, distribution, quality control, skilled craftmanship, and export barriers such as limited HS codes and difficulties in customs clearance.

Participants also stressed the need for stronger international promotion of Sri Lankan crafts.

A display of Threaded Heritage handloom apparel and crafts, showcasing Sri Lankan artistry complemented the event.