Saber Fazer in Vinhais: The New Library of Textile Tools and Equipment

Last weekend saw the opening of a facility that, together with the network of educators we have trained, is an essential legacy of our work in Vinhais.

For our second project in this Trás-os-Montes municipality, set up to train a new group of educators, we proposed creating a facility to support them in the project's activities and also in their educational practice with different communities.

Located in the historic centre of the town, well inside the old walls, the new library is a place where this equipment can be used or borrowed, and also a space for educational activities.

To support the renewal of knowledge and introduce modern, practical and ergonomic equipment, the library offers spinning wheels, carders and looms, as well as raw materials and consumables.

Alongside the equipment and tools, publications are also available, including the manuals we developed specifically for Vinhais.

The library opened during the European Heritage Days, and to mark the occasion project students Susana Afonso and Carmo Sousa led a felting workshop.

The workshop, which brought together participants from different generations, opened with an introduction to working with wool, the different stages of the process and the importance of this raw material. We are always very proud of our students!

The project has had fantastic support from the municipal executive, with close involvement from the councillor for culture, Artur Pereira dos Santos, and from the staff working on both the educational activities and the mobilisation of participants from the different parishes.

The library regulations, including the terms of use and borrowing conditions, will be available soon.

Find out more about our work in Vinhais through our blog.