The School of Crafts

Since 1999, the Centre for Folk Art Production (ÚĽUV) has been systematically organizing educational activities focused on folk art production and crafts under the name “The School of Crafts ÚĽUV”. The various educational programs take place in the Regional Craft Centers of ÚĽUV located in Bratislava, Banská Bystrica, and Košice. In 2015, ÚĽUV´s School of Crafts was listed among the Good Safeguarding Practices of intangible cultural heritage in Slovakia.

The goal of our educational activities is to enhance the public’s understanding of traditions and cultural heritage while also contributing to the care, preservation, and development of folk art production in Slovakia.

The basic forms of educational activities include craft courses, creative workshops, excursions, lectures, and seminars. The target audience includes both the general public and professionals: course participants, tutors, educators, craftsmen, artisans, visual artists, and designers. These activities take place in fully equipped workshops with materials and tools, led by qualified craft tutors. The length of the courses is adjusted according to the level of complexity, content, and scope of the subject matter being taught. Individual attention is given to participants as the tutor works with small groups of 5 to 6 people.

Gain insight into the range of current activities by clicking the gallery of School of Crafts in Slovak language.

Courses for Children
Courses for Children
Craft courses for children and youth are an excellent leisure activity. They enhance creativity, foster manual skills, and strengthen the bond to intangible cultural heritage. These courses are suitable not only as leisure activities but also as supplementary education or preparation for talent tests for art schools. The small group size (5 – 6 children) allows for individual attention from the tutor.

Holidays with Crafts
Holidays with Crafts
5-day craft courses in weekly sessions in the form of day camps are organized during the summer holidays in July and August. During the week, children spend each day in a different one of the 5 craft workshops. At the end of the week, the children arrange an exhibition of their works and they are recognized as apprentices. The program is designed for children aged 8 to 15 years.

Courses for Adults
Courses for Adults
Craft courses are held late afternoons and evenings in fully equipped workshops. We offer short-term and long-term courses for beginners and advanced learners, where, from September until June, they learn and improve their skills in small groups under the guidance of experienced tutors. All courses are taught according to approved methodology, and most of them are accredited by the Ministry of Education, Science, Research, and Sport of the Slovak Republic in the field of further education.

Individual Courses
Individual Courses
Individual courses are organized for one or two participants, usually during the school year at a mutually agreed-upon time. They are designed for both beginners and advanced learners who want to improve their skills. These courses offer a unique opportunity for one-on-one interaction with the tutor.

Excursions
Excursions
The School of Crafts ÚĽUV offers guided tours that take visitors through various workshops (pottery, wirecraft, textile, carving, basketry). These tours are completed with discussions about crafts, natural materials, traditional products, and technological production processes. The excursions are customized to different age groups, ranging from preschool children to seniors.

Creative Workshops for Children
Creative Workshops for Children
Creative workshops are an experiential form of education offering practical application of cross-cutting themes such as Regional Education and Traditional Folk Culture. The activities in the workshops (pottery, wirecraft, textile, carving, basketry, glass painting) promote manual skills, artistic creativity, vocabulary, and complement various subjects in education, including fine arts, aesthetic education, multicultural education, vocational training, history, local studies, and more.

Creative Workshops for Adults
Creative Workshops for Adults
Organized groups of adults can join for a tasting of our creative workshops where they can get acquainted with various crafts and create simple craft works. It’s an ideal way for creative and active relaxation, as well as team-building activities.

Methodological Seminars and Training Activities for Tutors and Educators
Methodological Seminars and Training Activities for Tutors and Educators
As part of the methodological activities, cyclical and systematic training is provided for target groups of tutors and educators. Educator training is conducted through methodological days, which provide theoretical insight into crafts and education of children in this field, as well as practical experience with natural materials and various techniques.

Lectures and Presentations on Folk Art Production
Lectures and Presentations on Folk Art Production
The School of Crafts ÚĽUV regularly conducts lecture activities and presentations of different crafts for the general public. While the lectures are theoretical contributions from experts on the topic of traditional crafts and folk art production, the craft presentations offer participants a direct experience with the master of craft in the production process and hands-on experience with living crafts, allowing for interaction.

Activities at Festivals
Activities at Festivals
The School of Crafts regularly participates in craft markets (such as ÚĽUV Days of Masters) as well as in folklore festivals, where visitors can experience crafts interactively through creative workshops. During a 1.5-hour time slot, both children and adults have an opportunity to work with natural materials and create simple craft works.

Craft Clubs
Craft Clubs
ÚĽUV, due to its focus on the protection, care, and development of traditional crafts and products, supports the establishment of craft clubs in its regional centers. Craft clubs represent a supplementary activity attended by graduates and tutors of the School of Crafts, ÚĽUV employees, folk art producers, and masters for the purpose of exchanging experiences, improving their own craftwork, and preparing joint exhibitions of craft creations.

ÚĽUV