UNESCO Chair at the Viljandi Repair Festival

This weekend, digitalisation of craft pieces is demonstrated at the Viljandi Repair Festival (#RuralEvent) by researchers from the CULTURALITY project. The UNESCO Chair further covenes an international panel discussion on sustainable craftsmanship.

This year's Viljandi Repair Festival, taking place on September 22, is co-organised by the UNESCO Chair on Applied Studies of Intangible Cultural Heritage (University of Tartu) as part of the EU-funded research project CULTURALITY.

Before the festival the consortium meeting for CULTURALITY (see photos) is held in Viljandi, bringing together researchers, craftspeople and representatives of local municipalities from nine European countries. The partners also visit the UT Viljandi Culture Academy, artisans, museums and other relevant institutions of the region.

CULTURALITY and the UNESCO Chair at the Repair Festival

The CULTURALITY team contributes to the repair festival in a manifold way:

• Digitalisation of craft pieces is demonstrated by researchers from the University of St Andrews, Scotland. They show and explain how digital technology can be used to promote crafts.
  
• At 14 p.m. the panel discussion on Repair, Culture and Sustainable Craftsmanship is moderated by the UNESCO Chairholder Elo-Hanna Seljamaa. Experts from Estonia, Scotland and Sweden will share their experiences and best practices for fostering collaborations between craftspeople and local governments to support the sustainability of rural remote areas.
  
• At a dedicated stand, consortium members present the project and their activities beyond.

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^{Digitalisation of craft objects}

Repair Festival

The festival is held in the Estonian town of Viljandi, a Creative City of Crafts and Folk Art in the UNESCO Creative Cities Network.

The festival promotes sustainable consumption by raising awareness about repair practices their manifold benefits and ties to heritage. Offering a wide variety of repair workshops, it attracts it attracts craftspeople and the wider public from Viljandi and the whole country.

The programme also features local craft sales, a flea market, guided tours, book presentations, a plant swap, and concerts.

The festival serves as a CULTURALITY #RuralEvent. It perfectly aligns with the goals of the project, e.g. supporting craftsmanship, sustainable development and tourism in rural areas.