Hrvatski
Participation in the International Scientific and Professional Conference "Traditional Knowledge and Skills for the 21st Century"
On Friday, October 9, Tihana Kušenić, a senior curator and ethnologist at the "Staro selo" (Old Village) Museum in Kumrovec, participated in the international, multidisciplinary scientific and professional conference "Traditional Knowledge and Skills for the 21st Century." She delivered a presentation titled "The Museum as a Venue for the Transmission of Traditional Knowledge and Skills: Collaboration with Heritage Bearers and Educational Institutions." The conference took place in Brežane Lekeničke and Letovanić.
The goal of the conference was to foster interdisciplinary dialogue and the exchange of experiences regarding the role of traditional knowledge and skills in ensuring well-being, quality of life, sustainability, and regeneration. Through examples of good practice, it aimed to encourage the active use and transmission—as well as the creative adaptation and enhancement—of traditional knowledge and skills.
Nearly 60 participants from various scientific, academic, and museum institutions, local government units, Local Action Groups (LAGs), and associations—hailing from Croatia, Slovenia, and Brazil—took part in the program. It is also worth noting the participation of ethnology students from the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in Zagreb—the next generation of experts and stakeholders in the preservation of traditional cultural heritage.
The lectures and presentations themselves were held in the beautiful setting of Hotel Dvorac Jurjevec, with the conference hall located within a traditional two-story wooden building. The afternoon program took place in Letovanić, at the premises of the Škofač Ethnographic Collection—part of the Heritage Center for Letovanić and the Pokuplje region. Here, participants toured the ethnographic collection under the guidance of curator Jurica Škofač and attended the opening of an exhibition by academic artist Katarina Fabijanić Čačić.
Following a tour of the historic core of Letovanić, a workshop titled "More Than a Skill: Traditional Basketry as a Relational Creative Practice" was held, led by designer Nataša Njegovanović. During the session, participants had the opportunity to try their hand at traditional willow-withe weaving.
By participating in this gathering, the 'Staro selo' (Old Village) Museum in Kumrovec has once again reaffirmed its significant role in preserving and actively transmitting intangible cultural heritage to new generations.