The Cabildo of Lanzarote and La Graciosa celebrated this Friday, within the framework of the 37th Lanzarote Craft Fair, two events dedicated to recognizing and preserving the cultural and ethnographic heritage of the island. On the one hand, the presentation of the II Lanzarote Craft Awards, and on the other, the presentation of the book "La tunera y sus productos. El cultivo de la cochinilla en Lanzarote."
Both events took place on the afternoon of this Friday, September 11, at the Mancha Blanca fairgrounds and brought together recognition for those who keep traditional trades alive with the dissemination of an activity that marked the landscape and economy of Lanzarote for generations.
The president of the Cabildo, Oswaldo Betancort, highlighted that craftsmanship holds a large part of our history and identity. "We have recognized individuals and groups who have dedicated years of work to preserving and transmitting knowledge, while also documenting in writing, through rigorous publication, the importance that cochineal had for Lanzarote and for generations of families on our island," he pointed out.
II Lanzarote Craft Awards
The main stage of the Fair hosted the II Lanzarote Craftsmanship Awards ceremony, which recognized different careers linked to traditional knowledge, techniques, and trades.
The Lifetime Achievement Award recognized the Asociación Milana for its twenty years of work around the prickly pear cactus and cochineal. Also noteworthy in this journey is Chana Perera, who was one of the main promoters of the Lanzarote Craftsmanship Fair in its early days, contributing to the creation of an event that today reaches its 37th edition. Her career has also been linked to the transmission of cochineal culture among new generations, especially from educational centers and later through the Asociación Milana.
Likewise, Antonio Emilio Betancort was recognized for keeping the rosette tradition alive and transmitting it through courses, workshops, and demonstrations. The Fair also made a special mention to Joaquín Reyes Betancort, from Máguez, for preserving traditional pottery and sharing his techniques with those who wanted to learn this trade. They were joined by Los del Gofio Arráez & Morales, recognizing Tomás Morales, Ángel Arráez, José Morales, and Cynthia Arráez from Órzola for their twenty-five years linked to the Fair, advocating for the possibilities of gofio and disseminating the value of this food within Canarian culture.
In the same way, Aurelio Pérez received the Award for the best stand decoration at the Craftsmanship Fair, in the Stonemasonry trade, for the originality, aesthetic design, and careful staging of his exhibition space.
The Cabildo of Lanzarote and La Graciosa and the management of the CACT thanked the involvement of all the entities that have joined forces in this important event, fostering institutional commitment with the promotion, protection, and projection of island culture.
Presentation of the book ‘La tunera y sus productos’
After the awards ceremony, the presentation of La tunera y sus productos. El cultivo de la cochinilla en Lanzarote, published by the Publications Service of the Cabildo of Lanzarote and La Graciosa, took place. The work documents the historical, social, economic, and cultural value of cochineal in the Canary Islands, with special attention to the traditional centers of Guatiza and Mala.
During the presentation, the Minister of Education, Ascensión Toledo, explained that “this publication allows us to preserve and disseminate a part of our history that is directly related to the territory and the lives of many families in Lanzarote. It captures the economic value that cochineal had, but also the knowledge linked to its breeding, scraping, and drying, as well as the essential role of women and rural families in transmitting this knowledge for generations”.
The research recovers the human dimension of this traditional sector for the educational sphere, meticulously analyzing historical tasks such as the breeding, scraping, and drying of the insect that connected Lanzarote with international markets during the 19th century.
During the days of the fair, residents and visitors will be able to learn about and purchase this and other titles on island themes at the official stand of the Publishing Service of the Cabildo of Lanzarote and La Graciosa.
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