The Festival of Unusual Crafts takes place in Debrecen on September 5th. Folk craftsmen from Hajdú-Bihar, Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok, and Szabolcs-Szatmár Bereg counties will be waiting for those interested with craft demonstrations, an unloading fair, and playhouse programs. On this day, the renewed Tanner’s House will open, and in Dósa Nádor Square, folk music and folk dance productions will take throughout the day alongside the all-day fair.
Tanner’s House – The House of Craftsmen
The Tanner’s House – the House of Craftsmen is one of the treasures of Debrecen, it is a representative example of the historical heritage of the city of Debrecen, and by renovating the building, the city seeks to preserve this heritage for the present and for posterity. Dr. István Puskás, Deputy Mayor of the City of Debrecen, said at the announcement of the Crafts Festival that he was pleased to have the presence of craftsmen and to raise awareness of their work with this event in Debrecen. The restoration of the House of Craftsmen’s and the ceremonial handover, taking place on the folk art day is a great opportunity, to reach many more people. He drew attention to the fact that although the event takes place outdoors, participants should take special care at the event, taking into account the epidemiological situation.
Zsolt Jantyik, director of the Debrecen Cultural Center, explained that the project benefited from being a part of a larger 120,000,000 infrastructural investment implemented with the support of HUF 1 million, new spaces – spectacle workshops, handicraft street – were created. The technical conditions have become more up-to-date, offering opportunities that, by expanding existing activities, provide a wider range of talent management, community training, informal and non-formal learning opportunities for interested professionals, and others who do not know or are only interested in certain craft techniques.
We learned that with the reopening of the Tanner’s House, the most important goal of the institution was to create a regional handicraft craft house. Which also collects and organizes the elements of one of the most unique varieties of folk handicrafts in Debrecen, collecting the elements of an internationally renowned tannery. It also aims to introduce the craft traditions of the city and the region, with children and young people and adults living here. Ensuring the above goal by organizing exhibitions, professional meetings related to crafts, playhouses, camps, demonstrations, accredited training, courses, professional circles, as well as programs related to the traditional days and celebrations of the year.
Their further goal is to present and promote the works of artists living in Debrecen and the county and in the region, who deal with traditional handicraft activities, to take care of and modernize the permanent exhibition of tanneries in the Tanner’s House, to collect local tannery documents, and to expand and continuously operate organizing demonstrations, helping master craftsmen.
“Tradition is old, style is new.” – said Andrea Bíborka, Mátrai-Nagy, head of the professional department of the Debrecen Cultural Center, head of the unit of the Tanner’s House of Craftsmen. He emphasized that the work, which is dedicated to the preservation of folk art traditions, takes place on the site of the only industrial historical monument of Debrecen preserved in its original place. He also said that the staff of the Tannery want not only to preserve but also to renew these traditions in an innovative way. The tender was a great help in this, as it made it a methodological centerit is also becoming an institution, with a special emphasis on education, in which they can receive people hungry for folk art from childhood, either at the basic level or at a higher level.
During the program on September 5th, those interested will have the opportunity to gain insight into the very wide-ranging work taking place in the Tanner’s House in the spirit of preserving folk art traditions.
The renovated Tanner House – day, House of Artisans apply the theme of “You Should go to Debrecen” Celebration of Crafts in North Plains held in the Debrecen Cultural Center, in association with the Bihar Folk Art Association, and the Civis Traditional Folk Arts Association, with the support of Folk Art Associations.
According to István Kolozsvári, the president of the Bihar Folk Art Association from 9:00 am on the 5th September handicraft programs of the Feast of Crafts will take place, with a handicraft fair, spectacle workshops, craft demonstrations, and creative folk playhouses.
The event will take place in two locations throughout Debrecen, Dósa Nádor Square and the renovated and remodeled Tanner’s House – Craftsmen’s House, with the ceremonial handover of which is also part of the program. The participants will be greeted by Dr. István Puskás, Deputy Mayor of Debrecen.
CELEBRATION OF CRAFTS
Date: September 5, 2020
Location: DMK Tanner House – House of Craftsmen
(4024 Debrecen, Nagy Gál István u. 6.)
PROGRAM:
9 am – 1 pm: Dr. István Puskás, Deputy Mayor of Debrecen County, greets the participants
Treasures of our region – exhibition opening. The exhibition will be opened by István Kolozsvári, Vice-President of the Association of Folk Art Associations. The Hajdú Dance Ensemble is participating.
Craft demonstrations – with the participation of craftsmen taking possession of the new workshops of the Tanner’s House and the Cívis Association for the Preservation of Traditional Folk Art
Kurta yurt tales – in the yurt of the Tanner’s House, with the participation of Bodorka NépmesePont in Berettyóújfalu and NépmesePont in Debrecen (dates: 10.00; 10.30; 11.00)
Create for yourself! – creative activities for young and older
For the rest of the afternoon, those interested can meet the craftsmen of the Tanner House at a regional program organized in Dósa Nádor Square.
