Over the past two years Netty Sopata, Carol Sinclair and Clare Waddle have been working as the AAS team on the European Horizon research project CULTURALITY. Alongside their European Consortium partners, and with the help of some AAS Members during their Rural Spot events (and our soon to be advertised LivingLab), they have been exploring the landscape for craft practitioners in Scotland, how creative and culinary industries in rural areas currently interact with tourism, and how they could in the future.
As part of the project, each partner country is required to host representatives from the Consortium and in doing so facilitate a schedule for project briefings, feedback, discussions and planning. Within the week-long event the hosts are also required to introduce the partners’ to craft, culinary and creative practitioners working within rural areas in their country. AAS and the University of St Andrews fulfilled this role in the Isle of Lewis in October 2024. Early in 2025 Slovenia took the lead and later that year, in September, the AAS team visited our hosts in Viljandi, Estonia. Here, Netty shares her reflections and observations. Discover more about the Consortium visits in the AAS CULTURALITY blog series.
Viljandi, a UNESCO City of Crafts and Folk Arts is situated in the South of Estonia. Home to the Estonian Traditional Music Centre and Tartu University’s Viljandi Culture Academy, it is closer to the city of Tartu than the capital Tallinn and is surrounded by vast forests, some of which we had the opportunity to explore whilst being introduced to the world renowned textile artist and author Anu Raud at her workshop and woodsman Andres Ansper at The World’s Loneliest Lamp Shop. We were also able to visit the lace collection by Riho Toomra at Heimtali Lace Villa.
On the Friday of our week-long visit, after the final project meeting, we set off by bus to visit Andres Ansper in Loodi mõis situated in what can only be described as the best barn in the world. After four days of PowerPoints, planning and at times heated discussions, Andres’ workshop was a feast for our creative souls.
Andres specialises in designing and producing lamps and other products with birch bark. Harvested from trees designated for felling, the gathering of the material requires skill, time, travel and hard graft in an unforgiving rural environment. As with any workshop or studio you step into we were able to capture a glimpse of the lifestyle in which the maker is embedded: a pair of wooden skis being repaired on a work bench; a workhorse of a wood-burning stove; chalked appointments listed on a cupboard door; and, of course, partially completed products – some about to be finished, some that fell foul of perfection and put to one side – and some perfectly packaged products ready for delivery.
As we were invited further into the space, beyond the workshop and up the stairs to the showroom, a deeper sense of the previous life of the barn could be felt: newspapers from the 1980s, a loft hatch with a hauling mechanism, shelves stacked with materials and then, beacons of warm light floating in the darkness of the loft pulling you back to the present.
Throughout the tour Andres continued to answer our questions and explain some of the concepts behind his designs, the limits and the potential of the material he works with and the importance of harvesting the bark at the right time. All shared with the passion, enthusiasm and skill of a master craftsman and storyteller.
After a visit to an exhibition of lace made by Riho Toomra at Heimtali Lace Villa, we travelled on to the ERMi Heimtali Muuseum and the workshop and farm of textile artist Anu Raud.
Anu’s life and work as a textile artist and author dedicated to making, teaching, researching and safeguarding the cultural heritage of Estonia is well documented. Prior to meeting Anu, our tour of the Museum gave us a deeper understanding of the significance of woven, knitted, embroidered textiles and traditional dress to the different areas of Estonia and the ways in which the institution aims to ensure younger generations have an understanding of this significance.
Founded in 1987 by local resident Johannes Kokk, the Museum was bought by Anu Raud in 1994 and now holds a vast collection of textile examples from different regions of Estonia. In 2009 Anu donated the private Museum’s property and collections in their entirety to The Estonian National Museum (ERM).
Meeting Anu at her farm, a short walk from the Museum, holds the most impactful memory for me. It was a beautiful autumn day, a light breeze created a whisper through the forest and we were given the opportunity to step into Anu’s world. I couldn’t help but think that as idyllic as this world was on a sunny September day, the cold winters would add a harsh reality check to living here. I indicated as much to one of our Estonian hosts, who responded, ‘Well yes. But Anu has helped so many people over the years. She has many many friends and students who will always help her.’
At a time when we are constantly discussing sustainability through product design, material selection, production and business models, it was inspiring to witness such an organic, deeper and more resilient perspective on living sustainably with the intergenerational transmission of skills being displayed not just in the practice of craft techniques, but also through the care and support given to the older generation.
Photographer of all images Netty Sopata
