THE best of the best in folk arts and crafts will be highlighted during the Ibagiw this November.

Creative director Karlo Altomonte said the competitions in crafts & folk art in this year’s staging of the Baguio Creative City Festival aims to encourage innovations in four major categories: back-strap weaving, basketry, woodcarving and metalcraft and at the same time inspire a new breed of designers and artisans.

The Ibagiw Festival is set on November 16 to 24.

Led by HABI: The Philippine Textile Council, the weaving competition will have contestants creating tapestries using traditional back-strap looms.

In the metal craft category, local smiths will be creating wearable jewelry using metals of their choice.

For woodcarving and basketry categories, participants will be required to use bamboo as the main raw material, in an effort of the festival to advocate the use of more sustainable and environment-friendly materials in the production of crafts.

Led by the Baguio Arts and Creative Council (BACCI) Karlo Altomonte, the creative festival will partner with artists and craftsmen through BACCI spearheading the preparation for the nine day activity.

During the celebration, various areas in the city will also stage their own events in support of the festival with UP Baguio scheduling a workshop and quorum convergence for Asean craftsmen with a bazar and forum.

Interested participants, who may enter as an individual or a collaborative effort of two or more persons, must pass an audition process which includes the submission of a concept paper detailing their proposed piece for the competition.

The finished entries will be featured in an exhibit and silent auction from November 18 to 24, 2019, during which a panel of judges will determine the winners of the competition.

The top entry for each category will earn the creator/s P50,000 while the 1st runner-up will be awarded P30,000 and the 2nd runner-up, P20,000.

More details and the rest of the mechanics for the competitions are available at the festival website, www.ibagiw .com, or inquiries may be sent to the secretariat via email at ibagiw.festival@gmail.com.