NICH Hosts Sewing and Embroidery Graduation for Corozal Artisans

The National Institute of Culture and History (NICH), through its Institute of Creative Arts (ICA), today hosted the Certificate Ceremony and Exhibit Opening for the Santa Ana Cultural Sewing and Embroidery Group of San Joaquin Village, Corozal.  The event, held at the Museum of Belizean Art at the Belize City House of Culture, marked the culmination of a structured training programme designed to help the group transition from traditional handmade embroidery to sustainable, income-generating enterprises using sewing and embroidery machines.  Maria Algelita Magaña was a key driver behind the initiative.  She noted that the programme focused on improving production efficiency, enhancing product quality, and strengthening market readiness for the women involved, most of whom are older women from the community.  Also weighing in on the initiative was one of the artisans, Consuelo Pena.

Maria Magaña, Program Director: “To love our culture and I respect so much like the Garifuna people. There are some people who really have inspired me too because I know they are for culture all the way and that’s how we would like to have our Belizean Mestizo culture too going all the way that they teach their children and they teach their own children later down. I won’t be here too long so I want to leave something that we can say San Joaquin has culture as one of their most important ways of life in a country.”

Consuelo Peña, Artisan: “I learned plenty. This is my first experience because first I didn’t know nothing about sewing, embroidery and all this stuff. These Guayaberas I made them. So for me it’s very very good.”

Curator Gilvano Swasey explained that the exhibition not only celebrates craftsmanship but also places the work within a broader cultural and historical context, emphasizing the importance of preserving tradition while adapting to modern economic realities.

Certificates were awarded to participants who successfully completed the training, while the accompanying exhibit showcases machine-crafted pieces highlighting both technical skill and creative expression. Organizers say the exhibit also reflects the resilience of women-led cultural enterprises and their role in community development./