Panama City: Guna Mola Workshop with Indigenous Instructor

Mola workshop offers an immersive cultural experience into Guna indigenous traditions. Led by Igua, a Guna artisan educated in the US, the session combines practical crafting with historical context.
Participating in a mola workshop delivers an extraordinary cultural experience right in Panama City. Molas represent a cornerstone of traditional dress for the Guna indigenous people. You'll encounter women wearing these stunning pieces throughout San Blas or within the city itself, where a vibrant Guna community thrives.

Across Guna communities, women typically begin their mola-making education during adolescence or even younger. At the workshop, you'll develop proficiency in this demanding reverse appliqué technique. Creating a mola involves layering two to seven fabric pieces and meticulously cutting through each layer to reveal the intricate design. Mola quality varies considerably, directly influencing their cost. Depending on design complexity, completing a single mola demands anywhere from two weeks to half a year of dedicated work.

Igua, who leads the workshop, is an English-speaking Guna woman whose education in the United States was made possible through a prestigious scholarship. Beyond facilitating workshops, she serves as a guide, artisan, and graphic designer. Her professional journey encompasses roles at the Reprosa jewelry store and the Biomuseo. The workshop concept emerged from questions posed by Biomuseo visitors, inspiring Igua to establish an educational program that shares the mola's cultural heritage and significance—expertise she has cultivated since childhood at age seven.

The mola workshop incorporates a traditional Guna song that participants will learn. You'll explore the mola's profound meaning and the Guna people's compelling history through visual narratives. You'll also craft your own small mola, with all materials supplied for your use.

لضمان التوفر، احجز في أقرب وقت ممكن. الحجز المبكر يستحق النظر خاصة إذا كنت تخطط للرحلة خلال موسم الذروة مثل العطلات العامة أو عطلات نهاية الأسبوع.

يمكنك إلغاء هذه الرحلة بدون تكلفة حتى 24 ساعات قبل بدء الرحلة. إذا قمت بالإلغاء بعد 24 ساعات أو لم تحضر في الرحلة، فسيتم تحصيل السعر الكامل للنشاط. التأخر في الاستلام أو المغادرة سيعتبر كعدم حضور.