The traditional event “meet your Master!” will last all April this year and will invite interested people to one of Latvia's historical lands every weekend to explore our intangible cultural heritage in masterclasses, workshops and lectures.
The event “meet your Master!” organized jointly by the Latvian national Centre for Culture, local governments and amateurs will be held for the 16 th time, bringing together the masters and their “disciples” at around 200 venues. In order for anyone interested to meet masters throughout Latvia, the event is scheduled to take place on several weekends this year: 6 and 7 April – Vidzeme, 13 and 14 April – Kurzeme, 20, 21 April – Riga, Selija and Zemgale, as well as 27 and 28 April – Latgale.
“Meet your Master!” has become a beautiful and steady tradition in sixteen years. There is a sense of satisfaction that some of the masters of the positions are devoted participants in the event almost from its inception, while the feeling of the sequel comes from the emergence of ever new places, participants and the diversification of types of developments. This time, too – from lectures, talks and discussions, to practical masterclasses,” says Linda Rubene, expert on applied arts at the Latvian national Centre for Culture.
“Meet your master!” will enter Dr. art. Eva Peigozne's lecture “Latvian clothing in history and today” already on 29 March at the New Jaunpiebalga cultural House. In April, weavers, knitters, cocamateurs, knitters, pottery and blacksmiths, folk makers, embroidery, yarn painters, knickers, fillers, pearlers, puzzle makers and a host of other masters will operate at various venues. Visitors will have the opportunity to sing and compete with folklore clusters, as well as to learn traditional food and beverage preparation – to bake Slanduraus in Alsung, to enjoy white butter, cakes and water bodies in Rucava in Spare, porridge in Sarcans, to participate in brewing beer in Burzcastle and elsewhere.
To make it easier to choose which way to go, the Latvian National Centre for Culture invites you to look into the “meet your Master!” map: https://www.satiecsavumeistaru.lv/meistaru-karte/. The number of participants in many venues is limited, so the masters have to apply on time.
“Meet your Master!” is a follow-up to the traditional skills School launched in 2009. The essence of the event is to communicate to the general public about the person, their knowledge and skills, which have been preserved and inherited from generation to generation.