Culture for All in Vinhais
Vinhais, 2021-2023
The "Culture for All" project in Vinhais was dedicated to promoting artistic and cultural activities in the municipality of Vinhais. As part of the project, workshops and thematic sessions were organized in the fields of arts and crafts, theater and the performing arts, music, and dance—all areas with a rich cultural heritage in Vinhais.
We were responsible for the Arts and Crafts section. For this project, we chose to focus on wool and weaving—a raw material and a technique that are not only historically and culturally significant but also hold potential for future development in the region.
Culture for All primarily targets children and young people, seniors, people with disabilities, and the unemployed. Our approach to this project has largely focused on training people who live and work in the municipality of Vinhais so that, after completing the training, they can, in the future, lead all kinds of initiatives and activities related to these topics within their local communities.
To this end, our primary focus is on training facilitators and outreach workers within the municipality—people who, by the nature of their work, are in close contact with the project’s target audiences. These include teachers and educators at all levels, cultural facilitators, social workers, municipal staff, local associations, and individuals (whether employed or unemployed) who are interested in exploring these areas as a source of economic activity.
As part of these activities and training sessions, we covered the entire value chain from raw material to the final product, starting with the production of Churra wool from the five native breeds of Trás-os-Montes, through its processing into yarn, and ending with weaving. With this approach, we sought to emphasize the importance of producing high-quality raw materials for the future of arts and crafts, as well as to highlight the potential of the region’s wool.
In the initial phase of the project, we conducted a survey of the artisans still active in the municipality. We found that there are currently no weavers or wool processors left in the municipality, nor is the technical knowledge associated with these crafts still present. However, it is interesting to note that some cultural traditions, such as the well-known Festa dos Rapazes, depend to a certain extent on the continued existence of the region’s traditional textiles. Traditionally, Caretos costumes were made by repurposing old blankets. Since blanket production ceased many years ago, the possibility of making new costumes from the region’s traditional textiles is disappearing, which stands in contrast to the festival’s growing popularity and the generational renewal associated with it.
To ensure the continuity of this cultural heritage, we felt it was necessary to revive the technical knowledge associated with the practice of weaving, so that the region’s traditional fabrics could once again be woven. Thus, one of the first steps in this project was to conduct a survey of antique textiles, not only of Caretos costumes but also of the blankets from which they are made, to gain an understanding of the traditional textile heritage of the municipality of Vinhais.
This survey was followed by an analysis that resulted in technical data sheets for each of the main fabrics and their derivatives.
These worksheets were later included in the technical manuals provided for the weaving training courses organized as part of the project.
Mapping and surveying
To ensure the preservation of this cultural heritage, we felt it was necessary to revive the technical knowledge associated with the practice of weaving, so that the region’s traditional fabrics could once again be woven. Thus, one of the first steps in this project was to conduct a survey of antique textiles, not only of Caretos costumes but also of the blankets from which they are made, to gain an understanding of the traditional textile heritage of the municipality of Vinhais.
Manual of Weaving Typologies in Vinhais
The survey was followed by a technical analysis of the weaving techniques used locally, which resulted in the publication of the Manual of Weaving Techniques of Vinhais, containing technical specifications for each of the main fabrics and their derivatives.
Weaving and Woolcraft Manuals for Vinhais
These manuals, which focus on weaving and woolworking techniques, were produced by Saber Fazer as an educational resource to be used in training sessions conducted with Culture for All educators in Vinhais.
Training for educators in the fields of weaving, wool processing, and felting
With the aim of training educators in these fields, professional training programs were organized in the areas of weaving, woolworking, and felting, enabling participants to learn about and explore the many possibilities of wool.
Rethinking Wool from Trás-os-Montes
One of the components of the “Culture for All” project in Vinhais involved creating a display of processed wool from the five native sheep breeds of Trás-os-Montes.
Read more here: Rematerializar as Lãs Transmontanas.
Community activities
After completing their training with us, our trainees were tasked with organizing activities for the project’s target audiences and sharing this knowledge with the community. From schools to the Senior University, and even kindergartens, our trainees brought wool and weaving to the community.
Exhibition “The Same, But Different: Revisiting, Rethinking, and Revitalizing Wool Crafts in Vinhais”
Our involvement in the “Culture for All” project in Vinhais concluded with an exhibition at the Vinhais Cultural Center, which we opened in August 2023 and which tells the story of the work we’ve done over the past two years.
