According to Miras-e Arya, Maryam Jalali, the Handicrafts Deputy Minister, today 19 November 2023, in the Policy Making Council meeting of the 8th Fajr International Handicrafts and Traditional Arts Festival which was held with the presence of Director Generals of the ministry and also representatives from various institutions stated: This event is the 8th step and is a basic approach of handicrafts in second step of revolution. After holding 6 editions, the 7th edition was held internationally and this year is the 8th edition and the second international edition.
She added: Realization of identity-based economy is one of our most important strategies and solutions in this festival. In this regard, we defined three approaches for this festival, one of which is the connection between the new generation and the past generation, which raising awareness of the new generation and using the experiences of the old generation is followed.
The Handicrafts Deputy Minister continued: In addition, effective communication with all relevant groups and converging the value chain are two other approaches of this festival.
Jalali added: Sarv-e Simin-e 8 Festival (8th Silver Cypress Festival) can help fusion in the field of handicrafts.
The Handicrafts Deputy Minister reminded: One of our most important plans is to strengthen exports, and in this festival, we are strongly looking for ways to strengthen the export of handicrafts.
she continued: The connection of handicrafts to the home and kitchen has flourished in recent years. In this festival, we determined 6 axes for this festival and we are working to improve this festival. She said: We are seriously pursuing utilization, modernization, new designs for the new generation, raising awareness and interest, producing handicrafts works aligned with and related to religious and pilgrimage works.
The handicrafts deputy minister reminded: Of course, in order to progress our work, we tried to follow marketing and branding simultaneously as holding this festival, because although handicrafts is a passion and not a job, it should be wealth-creator.
We Take the Symmetry of Holding this Festival with Number Eight as a Good Omen
Ali Toloui, Management and Human Resources Development Deputy Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Ministry, also said in this meeting: We are sure that “Sarv-e Simin-e 8 Festival" (8th Silver Cypress Festival) will definitely be a unique festival, because it is tied to the number eight, and we Khorasanis believe in number eight, and we take the symmetry of this festival with number eight as a good omen.
Sarv-e Simin Festival is one of the Great Actions of Ministry of Cultural Heritage
Hossein Sari, Director General of Ministerial office of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Ministry, also said in this meeting: Holding this festival is considered one of the great actions of this ministry, therefore, I appreciate our good colleagues in the Deputy of Handicrafts. Holding such festivals is also approved and liked by Mr. Zarghami, the Minister.
He added: the prediction is that holding this festival in the current social conditions can help to create vitality in the society. This festival, like other festivals, require its own preparations, but the concern of our colleagues in the Deputy of Handicrafts in the past months has made this festival have good conditions so far, and holding such meetings can help the maturity of this festival so that we can witness the holding of a favorable festival.
Sari continued: One of the serious detriments of handicrafts is the introduction of the capacities of this field and its marketing, therefore, in this festival, we must pay attention to the market and sales and be able to connect the production chain to the supply.
Director General of Ministerial office of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Ministry noted: Festival slogan has been selected with the topic generational connection which is very good and appropriate, and we should introduce the new generation to the capacities and subtleties of the field of handicrafts.
Adding Handicrafts to Research Institute of Cultural Heritage and Tourism Proposed
Mostafa Deh Pahlavan, the Head of the Cultural Heritage and Tourism Research Institute also said at this meeting: one of the important programs that can be proposed in this meeting is to add the name of handicrafts to the Research Institute of Cultural Heritage and Tourism in order to further strengthen the research institute's cooperation with the field of handicrafts.
He added: according to the missions assigned to the research institute, this center has a lot of common fields of cooperation with handicrafts. Handicrafts have existed in Iran since ancient times, and in the conducted research, we sometimes come across handicrafts that were used in the past.
Deh Pahlavan noted: holding Sarv-e Simin-e 8 Festival (8th Silver Cypress Festival) will definitely have good results and achievements, and we at the Research Institute of Cultural Heritage and Tourism are ready to cooperate with the Deputy of Handicrafts to hold this festival as well as possible.
Official Members of Sarv-e Simin-e 8 Policy Making Council
The official members of this council include Ali Tolouei, Management and Human Resources Development Deputy Minister of Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Hossein Sari, Director General of the Ministerial office, Mahmoud Salari, Deputy Director of Artistic Affairs of the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, Asghar Baqerzadeh, Educational and Cultural Affairs Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Education, Mohammad Hossein Saei, President of Soore University, Mehrdad Azimi, Deputy Minister and Head of Technical and Vocational Education Organization of the country, Vahid Soltani, Director General of Security of the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Hamed Alamati, CEO of the Intellectual Development Center for Children and Adolescents, Hormatullah Rafiei, President of the National Association of Tourism Organizations and Head of Air Travel Service Offices, Mohammad Hossein Hejazi, Director General of Abbasabad Renovation Company and head of Tehran Municipality Tourism Holding, Hassan Meisami, Director General of Public Relations of the Ministry of Cultural Heritage , Mehdi Mazhabi, CEO of Tehran Municipality Beautification Organization, Zahra Nazem Bokaei, President of Al-Zahra University, Hakimi, CEO of Astan Quds Razavi Institute of Artistic Creations, Mohammad Ali Kyani, Secretary of the Specialized Cultural and Media Working Group of the Supreme Council of Iranian Affairs Abroad.
Also, Seyed Mojtabi Hosseini, Advisor to the Minister of Guidance and Islamic Culture, Mustafa Deh Pahlavan, Head of the Research Institute for Cultural Heritage and Tourism, Shahram Gilabadi, Alireza Izadi, General Director for the Inscription of Cultural, Natural & Intangible Heritage, Noorullah Moradi, Vice President of Education and Public Participation of the Environmental Protection Organization, Amir Hossein Asadi, Director General of the Business Services Office of the Ministry of Industry, Mines and Trade, Masoud Hasanlou, Secretary of the Cultural and Soft Technologies of Vice Presidency for Science and Technology, Farzad Hushyar Parsian, President of Azadi Tower, Vida Tavahodi, Director General of Education and Promotion of Deputy of Handicrafts, Morteza Emadi, Executive Secretary of Fajr Festival and Advisor to the Handicrafts Deputy Minister, Nader Zeinali, Director General of the Provincial Affairs of the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Mohammad Hossein Askarpour, Director General of Handicrafts Production Support, Abbas Bayat, Director General of Vocational Technical Education of the Ministry of Education, Hossein Khajeh Beidokhti, Advisor to the Handicrafts Deputy Minister, Farzad Ojani, Director General of Marketing and Commercialization, Farzad Rashidi, Advisor to the Handicrafts Deputy Minister, Pourang pourhosseini, Advisor to the Handicrafts Deputy Minister, Mohammad Hossein Dehghan, Deputy Director General of Production Support, Habibullah Ehsani, Intellectual Property Expert, and Hossein Ehsani, Deputy Director of Development and Promotion are also members of this council.