Upytė Traditional Crafts Centre is housed in a newly renovated, unique eco-friendly house built of straw and clay. The main focus of the educational activities here is the promotion of flax farming and the development of related crafts. The many educational programmes will introduce visitors to textile and blacksmithing crafts, beekeeping, traditional music, pottery and toy making. The craft centre organises a series of activities to celebrate All Saints Day, Christmas, Midsummer and Easter: candle making, straw decorations, mask making and learning how to decorate Easter eggs with wax. Periodically, the centre hosts an artisan market in a stationary marketplace, and pottery kilns are used to demonstrate the firing of traditional tannery and black pottery.
UPYTĖ TRADITIONAL CRAFTS CENTRE CRAFTMEN:
– Irena Ona Vilienė is a certified weaver of national heritage and folk artisan. She runs an educational weaving programme and teaches the craft of weaving – ribbon making.
– Stanislovas Sargautas is a folk musician and leader of the Upytės Vešeta folklore ensemble. He organises educational programmes on traditional music making – dances, games and playing on traditional instruments.
– Rolandas and Vyginta Jakubonis are blacksmiths. They demonstrate the craft of blacksmithing and lead educational
blacksmithing programmes.
– Audronė Virbalienė is a knitter and a tailor. She demonstrates the craft of sewing and runs an educational programme on ragdoll making.
– Daiva Pridotkienė is a beekeeper. She demonstrates the craft of beekeeping and conducts education about bees and beekeepers.
– Romas Galiauskas, a ceramist, leads the educational programme “Clay Friendship”. He demonstrates the potter’s craft, organises potters’ training, and shows the process of firing tan pottery.