Craft education in Slovakia
Craft education and the transmission of tradition in Slovakia — that was the theme of our study visit within the GPS project.
A visit to ULUV—a cultural institution
🌿 We explored how the Slovak institution ULUV research, operates and create methodology for working with crafts. ULUV has branches in Bratislava, Banská Bystrica, and Košice. They have been developing their methodology since the 1990s and have gained very interesting experience and systemic solutions. They lead a School of Craft education for many years. We were able to learn from this and draw inspiration 🙂
🌿 We learned about the situation of craft education in Slovakia, its experiences, and its challenges, thanks to meetings with people running ULUV (dyrektorka Eva Sevcikova and their team) and a representative of the Ministry of Culture of the Slovak Republic (Barbora Morongova). We were also able to exchange experiences from our own countries, which was very valuable. Prof. Katarzyna Marcol from the Uniwersytet Śląski w Cieszynie also joined our meetings.
Eva Sevcikova 
A great exhibition in Bratislava
🌿With the curator Zuzana Dedík Šidlíkovawe enjoyed a great exhibition “Jedna inšpirácia, dve cesty. ÚĽUV 1945 – 1989”, – highly recommended!
Craft in the public education system
🌿 We took part in a teachers’ seminar, where we learned about the possibilities of applying Regional Education and Traditional Folk Culture topics in public schools and within the environment of the ULUV School of Crafts (Slovakia). We also presented our experiences with education in NGO organizations in Germany and Poland. Craft is present in the public education system in Slovakia, which was very interesting!
🌿Craft is present in the public education system in Slovakia; that was inspiring!
The director of ULUV Banska Bystrica 
Craft education in practice
🌿 We met with a community that takes care of its cultural heritage, including basketry — the residents of the village Vrbovce, from which the well-known basket maker Patinka also came. We were hosted by basket makers and the mayor of the village, and we also visited the local museum.
We also attended a local festival in Rudnik (Myjava district), where we could see an exhibition, demonstrations, and how the community takes care of its local traditions. And they do it wonderfully! 
🌿We visited willow plantations (Prutnik in SK); the community of Vrbovce village takes care of it.
Basketry skills exchange
Besides the substantive meetings, there was also a practical exchange of craft skills! During the study visit to Slovakia:
we took part in workshops led by Slovak specialists and masters of crafts.
We wove with willow and cattail and took a look at other materials like straw and more.
For Paulina, Łucja, and Kasia from Serfena, and for Jennifer from ZEF, the roles were reversed—instead of teaching, this time they were the ones learning! New techniques of working with cattail, and also (finally!) weaving cattail on frame looms.
Easter/spring “korbacze” of fresh willow:
Erika Rudikowa and her sons Tymek i Benio
Frame loom weaving with cattail and the spiral technique. Weaving with willow, straw and cattail:
We would like to thank all the teachers and masters, both older and younger!
Erika Rudikova with her sons Tymek and Beniamin, Eva Horvath with her son Samko, Ivan Šoška, Zlatoń Hreha, Tomas Mikolaj and everyone who devoted their time to us 
Partnerzy projektu GPS – new ways for basketry education:
ZEF – Zentrum europäischer Flechtkultur Lichtenfels e.V. (Manfred Rauh, Jennifer Rubach)
Združenie košikárov Slovenska (Tomas Mikolaj, Erika Rudikova, Martin Langer, Milan Marecek)
Serfenta (Paulina Adamska, Łucja Cieślar, Kasia Kowalska)
The project is funded within the Erasmus+ Vocational Education and Training (VET) program
Edukacja Rzemiosło Wymiana międzynarodowa
