Textiles Abroad: Bhutan

The Royal Textile Academy (RTA) was instituted in May 2005 under the Royal Patronage of Her Majesty Gyalyum Sangay Choden Wangchuck, the Queen Mother of Bhutan. It was registered as a non-government, non-profit organisation on 11th June 2012.

The Royal Textile Academy.

The RTA is dedicated to preserving and promoting Bhutanese textiles inparticular, and the 13 arts in general, and celebrating the unique culture and traditions of Bhutan by creating international awareness and encouraging international collaboration to promote mutually beneficial exhibits and educational programmes. Training programmes at the Weaving Centre include a ‘Skill Development Training for Weavers’, where students and weavers are trained indifferent techniques, the artof yarn dyeing, marketing, colour combination, and basic bookkeepingskills. Pre-booked short courses on yarn dyeing and weaving are also arranged for visitors.

Yarns on display to exhibit locally available natural dyes.

The Textile Museum at the RTA includes two galleries. The upper gallery is dedicated to a permanent exhibition that gives visitors a comprehensive understanding of the various types of Bhutanese textiles. The exhibitions in the lower gallery are changed annually and are often related to the national events of the year. Such exhibitions are not only interesting to foreign visitors, but are also of interest to the local audience. A four-phased construction project for the Academy began in 2013. The third phase, focused on the offices, will be completed shortly. It will include an additional gallery and office spaces for rent. This will be a major source of income for the sustainability of the RT A and its programmes. We wish them luck with their future endeavours!

His Majesty the Fourth King of Bhutan.