The precious Italian tradition in the field of lace and embroidery is the driving force which stimulated 5 women to create on the 18th October 2001 the association Italia Invita with the aim of promoting contact and rapport between the Italian lace and embroidery entities, inheritors of the tradition, and analogous entities abroad. A glance at the past but now to project to the future to involve the vast Italian and foreign public, to show and make them aware not only of the traditions but also the trends and the great possibilities of artistic expression of the textile instrument.

The principal activities of Italia Invita are:

• Organization of the biennial International Forum
• Organization of meetings, training, conferences, exhibitions;
• Realization of cultural exchanges between both Italian and foreign lace and embroidery schools;
• Financing publications of an historical and teaching nature.

The association avails it self of the advice and collaboration of artists, researchers, art historians, lace makers, embroiderers and experts in public relations.
The ten members which today form the association bring to Italia Invita an important expertise in lace and embroidery and also in the organization-management of events, travel, in communication and in the use of the new information technology (internet).

The principal events organized by the foundation of Italia Invita to December 2003:

International Forum of Lace and Embroidery May 9-11 2003
Spectators coming from over 19 countries had crowded the rooms of the European Congress Centre at Bellaria near Rimini to admire over 50 techniques of lace and embroidery presented by amateur associations, schools and craft workshops; the exhibition by textile artists "a place at table"; the private collections and the trade stands. Many enthusiasts took part in the pre-event workshops, many had followed with interest and attention the conferences and communications on the various techniques the subject of the workshops.

Courses and classes of embroidery and lace: :

• workshop on embroidery Caterina de' Medici 7-9 November 2003
• course Rosa del Salento 11-13 October 2002

Publications:

• cd-Rom of the first edition of Italia Invita - International Forum of Lace and Embroidery

For further information info@italiainvita.it and to know about future events planned view the pages on this site (Italian only).