Celebration of the project "Against the Background of Old Crafts"

Old crafts from heart to heart...

Summer settles in the grass, birdsong and treetops of the manor park. Silence entwines in the weaving of wickerwork, the warmth of the kiln caresses a ceramic item, and invisible threads of stories stretch between the rye field and people's hearts. The moon rises above everything - as if woven from light to protect the moments of the festival "Amid the Background of Old Crafts".

With these words, the celebration in Kuršėnai began on August 14, 2025. Residents and guests of the city of Kuršėnai gathered in the manor park, where a special celebration awaited them - a continuation of the opening celebration of the project's photography exhibition "Against the Background of Old Crafts".

The event participants were greeted with words and smiles by Birutė Poškienė, Director of the Šiauliai District Municipality Ethnic Culture and Traditional Crafts Center, Šiauliai District Mayor Česlovas Greičius, Šiauliai District Vice-Mayor Mindaugas Sadauskas, Member of the Seimas Eimantas Kirkutis, and Kuršėnai City Elder’s Deputy Elder Giedrė Karkalienė. Their wishes sounded like an encouraging invitation – to cherish what is from the past and create what will become the future.

The manor park was bustling with a fair and artisan workshops – each creation was like a small miracle, reminding us that traditions still live on. Visitors to the festival participated in the education, games, and creative workshops of the Šiauliai District Municipality Ethnic Culture and Traditional Crafts Center, the Šiauliai District Municipality Cultural Center, and the Šiauliai District Municipality Vytautas Vitkauskas Public Library. Here, the past and the present, children and adults, craftsmanship and the joy of creation met. Each participant of the event was greeted with steaming Kuršėnai Manor herbal tea and a freshly baked “Kuršėnai Konditerija” cake.

The musical program filled the evening with warmth and joy. The audience was delighted by the youth groups "Garazhas" and "NETO". The vocal group "Melomanai" sensitively touched hearts. The culmination of the celebration was the acoustic program "Dviese" by Mantas Jankavičius and Domas Bajarūnas - the melodies spread like a gentle evening breeze, leaving a long-lasting echo.

The holiday is over, but its spirit remains. It lives on in every move of the weaver, in every ceramic vessel, in every song and in every heart. Old crafts are not just a thing of the past. They are a warm present that we all create together.

Project: "IN THE BACKGROUND OF OLD CRAFTS"
Project organizer: Šiauliai District Municipality Ethnic Culture and Traditional Crafts Center.
The project is partially funded by: Lithuanian Council for Culture.
The project partner is Šiauliai District Municipality.
The author of the photography exhibition is Roberta Griciūtė, a dissemination specialist at the Šiauliai District Municipality Center for Ethnic Culture and Traditional Crafts.
Project manager: Simona Sidabrienė, cultural activities manager of the Šiauliai District Municipality Ethnic Culture and Traditional Crafts Center.