Rabat – With a master’s degree in Traditional Arts, experience as an art history teacher, and a career as a cultural project manager, Roqaya El Farhi has built her work around creating bridges between heritage, creativity, and younger generations.
She is also the founder of Let’s Have Fenn, a workshop space in Fez dedicated to art and handicrafts. The name is a play on words, combining “fenn,” the Arabic word for art, with the English word “fun.” In an exclusive interview with MWN Lifestyle magazine, El Farhi explained how living in Fez helped her develop an early fascination with traditional craftsmanship.
“I’m from Fez, so I have always seen craftsmanship and heritage around me. That is why I decided to study them and work with them in my own way,” she said..
At one point in her life, after completing her studies, she chose to step away from formal education and pursue self training.
Instead of learning about craftsmanship solely through books, she sought to understand it firsthand from the artisans who practice it.
“I used to visit artisans and sit with them to understand why they were doing what they were doing and what motivated them to work in their craft,” she added.Those conversations showed her that artisans have very different relationships with their professions.
Some view craftsmanship as a responsibility passed down through generations, while others pursue it through family tradition or personal passion.
“Some would tell me, ‘This was inherited from our ancestors, and I have to work on it, so I can preserve it and make sure it does not disappear.’”
Others would tell her, “My father introduced me to this when I was young.”
She explained that there are also people like her, drawn to creativity and art with a Moroccan identity, who do not want that creativity to be limited to what already exists.
El Farhi sees the same diversity among younger generations, with some entering traditional crafts out of expectation, while others discover them by chance or pursue them out of a genuine love for creativity.
Making tradition accessible
Through her workshops, El Farhi has discovered that introducing people to traditional craftsmanship requires more than simply explaining a technique.
The experience has to be accessible, encouraging, and enjoyable.
“Anything you do for the first time is difficult, and handicrafts are particularly challenging because they require patience and attention to finishing,” she emphasized.
To make the experience less intimidating, she simplifies the tools and explanations and gives individual attention to participants.
“I stay with each person individually, and every time they complete a step, we encourage them to continue.”
The process does not end when the participant finishes their creation. El Farhi often encourages them to compare their work with that of a professional artisan.
“They often discover that the two pieces are quite similar, and that makes them happy,” she stated.
The rewarding part, she says, is seeing some participants return for another workshop.
For her, that reaction is one of the most fulfilling aspects of cultural coordination, creating an environment where people feel capable of engaging with traditions that might initially seem difficult or distant.
A new relationship between young people and heritage
El Farhi believes that young Moroccans are increasingly reconnecting with traditional arts and craftsmanship, but they want to do so in their own way.
“I think young people want to grow while also preserving their heritage and traditional arts, but they want to do it in their own way,” she highlighted.
However, older generations of artisans have not always been quick to embrace this approach.
“This is something that many older artisans still struggle to accept, but we are working with them to change that.”
For El Farhi, preserving Moroccan heritage does not mean freezing it in time.
Instead, it means allowing new generations to interact with it, reinterpret it, and give it new forms of expression.
She also believes workshops have become particularly important spaces for achieving this.
“For me, one of the best things I have seen over the past two years is the development of workshops,” she said.
“People now have places where they can gather with people they know or even people they do not know, and take part in an activity that helps them disconnect from the stress of studying or working.”
At the same time, she believes these spaces contribute to a larger cultural purpose.
“They also help spread knowledge about our craftsmanship, heritage, and cultural patrimony, so that more people, whether Moroccan or not, can discover and understand it.”
The crafts that deserve more attention
Despite the growing interest in Moroccan craftsmanship, El Farhi believes that many traditional professions remain overlooked.
“There are many crafts that have not received the recognition they deserve, and this generation either does not know about them or does not fully understand their importance. Sometimes, even the people who practice these crafts do not realize their value.”
One tradition she particularly hopes to see receive greater recognition is “Sanaat al-‘aqad,” the traditional craft of making knots and related artisanal work.
Her experience entering the world of traditional craftsmanship also challenged some of her assumptions.
“Before entering this field, it seemed very difficult to me. I thought it was mainly for men, and I wondered how I would find my place among them.”
But once she became involved, her perception changed.
From “Sanaat Bladi’ show to a new professional chapter
In 2023, El Farhi participated in “Sanaat Bladi,” competing in the interior decoration category.
The experience became an important turning point in both her personal and professional journey.
“When I went through the casting for Sanaat Bladi, I already felt that I was going to be selected. I went straight home and started preparing without thinking twice.”
Her parents were initially hesitant about the idea, but she managed to convince them.
The experience taught her lessons that extended beyond craftsmanship and interior design.
“It taught me a lot of things related to television shows, teamwork, competition, and many other aspects.”
Most importantly, the experience gave her family a sense of pride.
“I made my father incredibly proud, even though my parents were initially hesitant about the idea,” she mentioned.
“Professionally, it was also a major achievement for me. Once people know you’ve won an award or a television competition, they become more interested in your work and take notice of what you do.”
For El Farhi, the recognition also strengthened her own confidence.
“It made me proud of myself as well. I always introduce myself by saying that I was on Sanaat Bladi. It really was the cherry on top of the cake.”
She says the experience continues to influence the way people perceive her professionally, including her work on Let’s Have Fenn.
Rethinking what Moroccan culture means
El Farhi’s work is also rooted in her belief that Moroccan culture extends far beyond the traditions and regions that typically receive the most attention.
“When we talk about the cultural sector, people often focus on theater, film, and literature. But our culture is much broader than that.”
Her response was to combine her academic background in traditional arts with her experience in cultural project management.Today, she hopes to continue developing projects and events that put Moroccan heritage and craftsmanship at the heart of everything she does.
One of her current projects is an exhibition focused on old caftans, designed to highlight the work of traditional artisans and explore the important role they have played in documenting Moroccan cultural history.
For El Farhi, the future of Moroccan heritage is not simply about preserving what already exists, but about creating opportunities for people to experience it, understand it, and build upon it.
Her work ultimately reflects a simple idea: tradition does not have to stay in the past. With the right spaces, tools, and opportunities, it can become part of how a new generation expresses itself.
