Gallery: First ever Viljandi Heritage Festival held in early October
The first ever Viljandi Heritage Festival was held earlier this month, the central theme of which was "Heritage heals." Viljandi, Estonia was designated by UNESCO as a Creative City of Crafts and Folk Art in 2019.
Attracting 1,500 visitors, the festival included an international conference, workshops and a heritage celebration, which together served to showcase elements of intangible cultural heritage and introduce various perspectives on folk culture knowledge.
More than 70 heritage representatives were present at the festival's exhibition area, and visitors also had the opportunity to participate in workshops, lectures and heritage sports competitions.
Festival exhibits also featured the intangible and handicraft heritage of various regions of Estonia, and even Viljandi's eateries offered up heritage-inispired flavors.
Festival program director Ave Matsin was pleased with the event.
"This completely novel festival focused primarily on heritage skills and knowledge, found its happy audience, and generated a particularly inclusive vortex of energy in Estonia's heritage landscape," Matsin said.
"Although sometimes it feels like handicrafts are done alone, or in smaller circles, this kind of nationwide event actually empowers all heritage enthusiasts, demonstrates the vitality of the culture and convinces onlookers of the importance of the field," she highlighted.
The program director added that she also considered it a huge success that so many young people from all over the country attended the Viljandi festival's workshops and lectures.
"It's such a delight to see children, who are often suspected of being addicted to their screens, spending time tinkering with crafts," she acknowledged.
The international conference "Heritage at the Service of Sustainable Communities" took place over the first two days of the festival, and the key takeaway of the event was the importance of community involvement. One of the keynote speakers, Alexander Langlands, emphasized how heritage creates value – public, social, economic, cultural as well as environmental value.
Another highlight of the five-day event was the inclusion of international guests. Workshops led by masters from Thailand and Nigeria added a special flair to the festival, and gave festivalgoers the chance to explore completely different heritages. Their participation marked Viljandi's first international cooperation as a member of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN).
The Viljandi Heritage Festival was part of the main program of the European Capital of Culture Tartu 2024.
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Editor: Rasmus Kuningas, Aili Vahtla