De agenda van het TRC wordt steeds uitgebreider, met een breed scala aan workshops, studiedagen, lezingen en cursussen. Hier is de huidige agenda:

Intussen willen we uw aandacht vestigen op een aantal nieuwe evenementen: 21-22 mei: Workshops Lefkara kant; 13 juni: Boekenmarkt; 12-13 september: Open Monumentendagen.

The Textile Research Centre, Leiden.From early 2026, the Textile Research Centre, Leiden, the Netherlands, is offering a total of seven junior and four senior fellowships for up to six months each. The first junior fellow has started her work in Leiden in April.

The fellowships are being sponsored by the Gieskes-Strijbis Foundation, Amsterdam. Fellows are invited to carry out research based on the TRC’s extensive textiles and dress collection of some 53,000 objects (click here for the catalogue). The junior fellows are supervised and assisted by TRC staff; senior fellows carry out independent research.

We are now opening the second round of the fellowships that covers:

• Two junior positions
• One senior position

These will be starting in October 2026 (with a degree of flexibility), for a duration of up to 6 months. Applications for these positions should be submitted by email to the TRC by 20 June 2026 (Dit e-mailadres wordt beveiligd tegen spambots. JavaScript dient ingeschakeld te zijn om het te bekijken.)  with the reference: ‘Fellowship programme Junior/ Senior' (depending on the position applied for).

Fig. 1. Postage stamp issued in Cyprus in 1981 to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the visit of Leonardo da Vinci to Cyprus. Above: The Duomo in Milan. Below: A piece of Lefkara lace.The TRC Leiden is very pleased to announce a special workshop on Lefkara or Lefkarika lace, scheduled for 21 May, and repeated on 22 May. The workshops are given by Eleni Anemomilou, who is coming especially to The Netherlands to give these and other workshops. Her trip is organised by the Cyprus Handicraft Service. 

Lefkara lace or whitework is one of the embroidery techniques that were traditionally practised in Cyprus. It is a form of cutwork with satin stitch details. It is often classed as a form of embroidered lace. Nelleke Ganzevoort wrote a detailed blog about this fascinating technique five years ago, which the TRC published on 21 December 2021. In 2009, the Lefkara lace technique was included in the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Lefkara lace is said to originate from the village of (Pano or Kato) Lefkara, Cyprus, and is locally called tayiadha (compare the Italian term punto tagliato, for cutwork ). Lefkara lace is said to have been developed in the time of the Venetian occupation of Cyprus (1489-1571), when reticella work was introduced to the island and local women copied the whitework's appearance, but using a different technique.

The move to Boerhaavelaan 6 is nearly finished, just a few more weeks and all the rebuilding, painting, furnishing, packing and putting away of boxes will be over! A great relief to all.

I would just like to extend a big ‘Thank You’ to everyone who has made a donation to the TRC moving fund. It made such a difference to have your support, best wishes and interest in what we are doing and plan to do. Please feel free to come and see what you have helped to create - the new and improved TRC is an elegant, early 20th century town villa!

Inevitably, we continue looking for help with different projects, and any further financial assistance will be greatly appreciated.

The TRC will open again to the public on Monday 11th May, but in the meantime, workshops, study days and lectures are already being presented. And I can assure you, there is lots more to come!.

Gillian Vogelsang-Eastwood, Director TRC, 4 April 2026.