Crafting Value: Storytelling Through Craft

Led by Sonali Dharmawardena and Caterina Roppo

Join Sri Lankan artist Sonali Dharmawardena and Italian artist Caterina Roppo for a powerful creative workshop that blends craft, storytelling and personal expression. Renowned for transforming the ancient craft of batik into contemporary art, Sonali works with intuition, colour and emotion to create pieces that speak to heritage, identity and resilience.In this gentle, supportive space, Sonali will introduce her unique batik and embroidery techniques—methods she uses to explore memory, healing and the unspoken histories carried through generations. She will talk through her recent collaboration with Caterina Roppo and they will share their approaches to storytelling.This workshop offers a rare opportunity to learn from celebrated artists while finding connection, confidence and creative voice.

• Visual storytelling, ecology, and cultural identity
• How film and craft shape narrative and meaning