Conference Review: The Amazing Lace Symposium 2025
Keywords:
lacemaking, Living Heritage, Embodied Knowledge, Cultural ConnectionsAbstract
The Amazing Lace Symposium 2025, held in Limerick, Ireland, examined lacemaking as a cultural practice that bridges historical traditions and contemporary innovation. The event, themed “Connections”, brought together artists, lacemakers, and academics to examine how lacemaking links traditions, communities, and practices, connecting practitioners across the island of Ireland and fostering global relationships among lacemakers worldwide. The event was supported by Limerick City and County Council through the Festivals and Events Scheme, the Design and Crafts Council of Ireland through the Network Support Scheme, and Creative Ireland through the Creative Communities on a Shared Island programme. The symposium comprised two parts: a morning session featuring talks and presentations, followed by afternoon workshops and small-group discussions (this review focuses on the morning session). This review article argues that lacemaking intertwines tradition with personal and communal meaning, demonstrating that lacemaking is not static but rather a dynamic practice that is continuously being reinterpreted by makers.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Samantha Morris

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