This year’s international 3rd Wool Festival was held with the theme Wool and Cross-Border Cooperation, on April 12th, 2025. Festival was organized by the Municipality of Majur, a partner (PP6) of the INTERREG DRP0200404 Green-Tex project, with the participation of representatives of the TTF partner (PP7). The program included the following activities:
- Round table: Woolen Creative World
- Exhibition fair of wool products
- Wool and knightly games
- Eco-campaign of planting plants with wool pellets
- Children’s fashion show
- Children’s play: “Šiško the sheep is shearing”
- Round table: Ecology in Pounje and Cross-Border Business Cooperation (Bosnian and Croatian cooperation)
- Entertainment program.
The numerous attendees, attracted by this topic and related to wool from various aspects, were welcomed by the Mayor of Majur Municipality, Klementina Karanović. She presented the Festival program and moderated the Round Table on the topic – Woolen Creative World, which was also attended by – Vesna Jakić (Ruta Cres), Milanka Pilipović-Radulović (MINAKA, Prijedor), Assoc. Prof. Željko Knezić (University of Zagreb Faculty of Textile Technology), Member of Parliament Marijana Petir (President of the Parliamentary Committee for Agriculture), Tamara Pecoja (Woona), Prof. Ivica Kisić (University of Zagreb Faculty of Agriculture).
Round Table Woolen Creative World
The participants of this round table presented their thoughts and views on wool and the issues of its use according to their experiences. Marijana Petir tried to draw concrete conclusions from everything spoken, with the necessary actions and activities aimed at a comprehensive approach to solving some of the aforementioned problems in collecting, sorting, washing and using wool for many valuable products, especially for environmentally friendly products, so-called agrotextiles. Although we often heard about the environmental problem that arises from not using wool produced by shearing sheep, the audience expressed the opinion that we should stop talking in that way, since wool is a biodegradable fiber and that the only harm is not using wool, especially when it is known that wool can be used in various ways (with the application of more or less technique and technology) and for various products from luxury works of art and clothing to fertilizers for growing vegetables. In addition, the Ozana association emphasized the positive psychological effect that working with wool has on people who work with wool.
After the discussion, Majur municipal mayor Karanović invited everyone involved in this topic to contribute in order to jointly approach new projects and make positive progress in the use of domestic wool. She also invited everyone to see the newly installed small wool washing line and a machine for carding and making slivers, roving and yarns of wool built as part of the INTERREG DRP0200404 Green-Tex project, in which the Municipality of Majur and the Faculty of Textile Technology Zagreb are partners, and in which a total of 11 partners from 9 EU member states are involved.
Demonstration of the newly installed wool washing line
During the Festival, visitors could participate in interesting exhibitions and workshops, and especially interesting were sheep shearing, plant sowing with the addition of wool pellets, knightly games and wool felting workshops. The children’s fashion show attracted exceptional attention and enthusiasm with the imaginative clothing items and fashion accessories displayed.
In the later afternoon, a second Round table entitled Ecology in Pounje and cross-border business cooperation, was held. The need for networking and connection at all levels was highlighted, especially through the implementation of ecological projects on both sides of the Una. The moderator of this round table was Milan Medić, Leader of the Croatian network (National Alliance of all local action groups), who was also the co-organizer of the III. Wool Festival.
Round Table Ecology in Pounje and cross-border business cooperation
The entertainment program continued until late in the evening. (A. Vinčić)