Ahead of the opening of the first International Lace Festival in Kotor, which will take place from March 27 to 29, 2026, organized by the Public Institution “Museums” Kotor, a press conference was held at the Creative Hub.
The conference featured speeches by the director of “Museums” Dušica Ivetić, the Secretary of the Secretariat for Culture, Sports and Social Activities Tatjana Kriještorac, and curator Ljubica Krivokapić, who leads the lace workshop for children.
Director Dušica Ivetić emphasized the importance of this event for promoting both local and international lace traditions.
“With great pleasure, we announce the first International Needle Lace Festival, whose local interpretation is the Dobrota lace. Through this event, we aim to position it among the world’s lace-making traditions. During the three-day program, we will host lace makers, associations, and researchers from various countries, presenting valuable works from Venice, Burano, the Sesia Valley, Bologna, Maglie, Croatia (Pag and Primošten), as well as South Korea.
In addition to exhibitions, the program includes expert panel discussions, lace-making demonstrations, and workshops that bring together adults and children. We believe this Festival will be an important step toward further research, preservation, and promotion of Dobrota lace, as well as an opportunity for international cooperation. There has also been a long-standing initiative to establish a lace museum, originally advocated by Nada Radović, a guardian of this tradition. Our goal is to position Kotor as a city of lace on the European and global map,” said Ivetić.
The Festival is held under the patronage of the President of the Municipality of Kotor, Vladimir Jokić. Partners include the Municipality of Kotor and the Ministry of Culture and Media, while the sponsor is “Luka Kotor” a.d.
Secretary for Culture Tatjana Kriještorac highlighted the importance of the work carried out by “Museums” in preserving cultural heritage.
“The Secretariat for Culture proudly supports activities that contribute to the protection of both tangible and intangible cultural heritage. We especially emphasize the professionalism and dedication of ‘Museums’ in promoting Dobrota lace. Until a few years ago, this skill was known to a limited circle of people, thanks to Professor Nada Radović, who carefully preserved it. Today, through institutional support and museum projects, this tradition is gaining a new place in Kotor’s cultural life,” she stated.
Curator Ljubica Krivokapić, leader of the workshop “First Stitches of Dobrota Lace,” emphasized the importance of educating younger generations.
“In cooperation with instructors, we have focused on working with primary school children to introduce them to the basics of Dobrota lace-making and encourage interest in this traditional craft,” she said.
It was also noted that until 2021, Nada Radović was the only officially recognized custodian of the Dobrota lace technique in Kotor. Today, through the project “Old Skill for a New Era,” at least 60 women have been trained in this craft, some of whom have become instructors.
The official opening of the Festival will take place on Friday, March 27 at 6 PM at the Church of St. Paul, in the presence of state officials and members of the diplomatic corps. The festival program, including exhibitions, workshops, presentations, and panel discussions, will be held at the Creative Hub in the Old Town.
Montenegro protected the craft of Dobrota lace as an intangible cultural heritage in 2013.
