Paper short abstract:

The weaving program at the ONG DIMA school in Niamey teaches Nigerien téra-tera style weaving to students in hopes of not only preserving the tradition of regional strip-woven cotton textiles, but also providing youth with job opportunities through the innovation of traditional styles of cloth.

Paper long abstract:

The weaving program at the ONG DIMA school in Niamey teaches Nigerien téra-tera style weaving to young students in hopes of not only preserving the tradition of regional strip-woven cotton textiles, but also providing youth with job opportunities. They are keenly aware, however, of the dwindling market for these heavy textiles which is thankfully paired with the desire for a lighter, wearable local cloth. While teaching a workshop at DIMA, we worked with four and eight-shaft floor looms to translate téra-tera patterns to clothing-weight twills.

DIMA is inspired by the faso dan fani in neighboring Burkina Faso that was popularized by former President Thomas Sankara’s push to rely on products created in Burkina Faso instead of imports as a means for greater economic independence. They are also concerned with their environment and sourcing local materials that are more eco-friendly than the imported synthetic thread available in the markets. DIMA is educating the community about traditional Nigerien weaving, encouraging the building of infrastructure required to train and support weavers, and producing innovative samples of a tradition-based textiles re-imagined for a national market that is eager to wear their cultural identity.

As both a weaver and an art historian, the opportunity to witness this juncture in Nigerien weaving history presents me with a range of inquiries pertaining to: the perceived dichotomy between tradition and innovation, the dynamics of multinational relationships in the development of artistic practices, and the realities of educating the next generation in a rapidly changing global market.