Center for Culture and Development (CCD-NL) partners with Urban Medley

Center for Culture and Development, aka CCD-NL  partners with Urban Medley to support and revive traditional arts and heritage. – it is indeed a proud moment for us as a brand because we believe in this journey we need to collaborate with like minded organizations and individuals to achieve the objective. it is not an easy task but we are determined to make a start.

A goal of being a valued resource in culture and development

CCD-NL is a foundation driven by progressive ideas, bold actions, with a strong support base in order to be the pioneers in reviving arts and endangered cultural heritage for sustainable development.

They  aim to preserve the past to be alive today and to be sustainable for the future. Their focus is both the tangible and the intangible culture, with  activities in the preservation of culture is rooted in the hope to bring economic development. As an organization, CCD-NL does not only depend on arts and culture but also on innovation and technology while maintaining the integrity of the arts and culture.

They find their mission in the present and future possibilities for culture, the economy, and the creative industry which they fulfil by organizing projects and activities within the Netherlands to building international cooperation with countries that have strong historical, cultural, and economic ties with the Netherlands.

 The beginnings of Center for Culture and Development (CD-NL)

CCD-NL birth is a result of numbers of initiatives and projects coordinated by their founding director Ms Yetty Van Der Made-Haning focusing on the revitalization of cultural heritage (tangible and intangible) for sustainable development as a research fellow at International Institute of Asian Studies, Leiden University in 2011.

Since then Ms.Yetty Van Der Made-Haning has organised and coordinated numbers of activities such as an International workshop on Revitalization of weaving IKAT in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), Indonesia for culture and economy as an international cooperation project organized by IIAS, Leiden University and Dekranasda NTT (craft council) with the support of ICCO (Dutch Funding Agency), Asian Cultural Council, New York and Indonesian Heritage Trust. 18 countries were participating in the meeting including the host, Indonesia.

Later on in 2016, again Ms Van Der Made-Haning organized and coordinated four days’ workshop at Textile Research Center Leiden with Dekranasda NTT, Indonesia bringing three master weavers from NTT to conduct workshop and exhibitions for a Dutch audience in The Netherlands.

CCD-NL has put revitalization of weaving IKAT as one of the focused themes in the first five years by continue working with Indonesia and reconnect with KASURI Japanese IKAT. Also with countries in the geographical focus of CCD-NL with history of weaving IKAT.

Moving into the Future

CCD-NL launched an IKAT Platform July 2020 aiming to connect artisans in NTT Indonesia, Japan and India with local Dutch designers. The goal was to empower artisans around the world by sharing knowledge, as well as form a marketplace for their art. CCD-NL also focusses on crisis and recovery management in the different countries where our partners reside, using culture as a tool peace through diplomacy. This has ultimately resulted in the creation of the CCD-NL IKAT Platform, Binding Cultures in times of crisis.  Other projects launched and supported by the CCD-NL include the development of IKAT reuse and recycle, to embrace a greener approach to weaving techniques. Within this project the focus will be on using natural dyes and methods throughout the different artisans supported by the many project of the CCD-NL.

While looking at the future, CCD-NL also reflects on the present and the ongoing Covid19 pandemic. In particular, connections are being made between artisans of various countries – such as Indonesia, Indonesia, Japan and the Netherlands – to combine efforts and support one another through this crisis. One way of doing so is the planning of a webinar surrounding Indian IKAT, a method of weaving found across the country. Other ways of supporting local artisans are the promotion of their craft through the CCD-NL social media platforms, and the overall creation of an online platform to support IKAT weavers.

It is crucial that small sustainable brands collaborate with organizations like Center for Culture and Development to amplify their message and reach out to conscious consumers to help support traditional artisan communities and art forms and support a sustainable development process.