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In March 2025 Clare Waddle and Netty Sopata arrived in the enchanting EU city of Ljubljana, Slovenia for our third CULTURALITY Project Consortium meeting. In this post, Clare reflects on their activities and adventures for AAS, a Consortium partner.

The Consortium meeting was a well-balanced gathering of academics plus representatives from heritage, culture, economics and data analysts. Together we are all committed to exploring the intersections of culture, creativity, and sustainability. The chat was vibrant. Verbally we travelled through anthropology, ethnography, material culture, geography, tourism studies, craft, design and making to name but a few.

The city’s unique architectural identity hit us first; an impressive offering of brutalist buildings seamlessly paired with the city defining work of Jože Plečnik, many of which are now on the UNESCO world heritage list. Hosted by our partners at ZRC SAZU (Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts), the trip offered us all a deep dive into Slovenian cultural heritage, European research collaboration and most excitingly for us an inspiring window into the role of making and creativity in Slovenia.

Our Hosts and the CULTURALITY Mission

The week began at the historic institution of ZRC SAZU, a powerhouse of Slovenian academic research. Founded in 1981 and now home to 18 institutes, ZRC SAZU is deeply embedded in the study and preservation of Slovenia’s natural and cultural heritage. Our host, the dynamic Saša Poljak Istenič, welcomed us warmly. Saša, a research associate at the Institute of Slovenian Ethnology and a leading voice in Slovenian heritage, urban life, and sustainability, set the tone for what was an enriching and creatively charged few days for us all.

After welcome speeches, the morning was dedicated to project updates. Each work package leader presented progress from the past year and their roadmap for the next six months. As a maker-led community, of particular interest to AAS was the presentation from our Scottish partner the University of St Andrews who spoke about digital integration and how their research will bridge physical and virtual cultural spaces across the Consortium and beyond. Their work laid important groundwork for connecting creative practices and digital tools in meaningful ways. As this project progresses AAS will lead on digital resilience within the sector, which Netty, Carol Sinclair and I as the AAS CULTURALITY Team are currently developing. At the next Consortium meeting in Estonia we will share examples of the digital networks we use at AAS, sharing details in a forthcoming post about Estonia in our CULTURALITY blog series!

A Maker’s Dream: Center Rog

Without a doubt, one of the major highlights of our trip was our visit to Center Rog an impressive industrial building filled with makers, tinkerers and creatives of all disciplines. The nine production labs inside the centre pulse with energy, offering access to both traditional and modern digital tools, from woodworking to material labs, metalworking and ceramics to textile design. The space invites anyone regardless of skill level to learn, repair, make, innovate and collaborate. 

In addition to the labs, Center Rog houses studios, residencies, a branch of the Rog Library, exhibition spaces, plus a cafe and restaurant to fuel long days of creation. It’s a compelling model of what a public, inclusive maker space can be and it definitely sparked plenty of ideas and conversations between Netty and I to bring back to our own making communities. Discover more about Rog’s amazing residency programme and research here.

Deep Dives and Cultural Landscapes

Day two immersed us in the academic side of the CULTURALITY project. We reviewed plans for upcoming academic papers, publications, and calls for contributions. While it might sound like a dry affair, the discussions were surprisingly energising. The diversity of perspectives around the table from ethnologists to artists to rural activists created a shared sense of purpose around the cultural shifts we are all witnessing and shaping.

Later, the University of St Andrews led a workshop on cultural landscapes, prompting us to explore how each of our communities defines and experiences this layered concept. The idea of cultural landscapes where nature, memory and identity meet resonates strongly in AAS’s maker culture, a topic each country are exploring in many different ways.

We ended the day at the Slovene Ethnographic Museum, not just as visitors but as participants. With our hands in clay and our fingers on thread during respective pottery and weaving workshops. Netty and I were thrown well out of our disciplinary comfort zones when we were invited to throw a pot together. The museum visit emphasised that making is a timeless language of cultural expression and knowledge transmission. A memorable day was had by all.

From the Urban to the Rural: Craft in Context

No visit to Slovenia would be complete without heading into the countryside, where craft and culture remain deeply interwoven. We visited the Arts & Crafts Center DUO Škofja Loka, a rural hub of traditional skills and artisan knowledge, before stepping into the contemporary world of Kreativnice, a textile centre where modern design meets traditional technique.

But perhaps most thrilling for our metal working fix was the visit to the Krmelj Blacksmith in Log nad Škofjo Loko. Here we witnessed traditional blacksmithing alive and thriving, being reimagined for new generations. A perfect example of continuity and excitement for the future of heritage making.

The trip concluded with Saša guiding us to the site for the Slovenian teams rural event where we immersed ourselves in conversations of tradition, innovation and community. Saša’s presentation left us all buzzing with ideas and cross-border possibilities.

Looking Ahead

Proudly wearing our AAS hats, this trip amplified the multiple strands and impact of AAS’s involvement in CULTURALITY for Scottish based makers, highlighting to all of our partners that making isn’t just about materials or methods, it’s about people, place, and purpose. Whether in urban workshops or rural barns, across borders or back home the maker mindset is crucial in shaping resilient creative communities.

As part of the CULTURALITY Consortium we’re excited to continue building bridges between cultures, disciplines, and generations bringing home not just new ideas and opportunities but the tangible energy of a project that believes making matters.

Soon we will share more reflections from our second Rural Spot which took place in the heart of the Cairngorms National Park in September 2025, upcoming opportunities and how we’re integrating these insights into our own maker projects.

Read AAS’s CULTURALITY blog series.

Photographer of all images: Clare Waddle