Since 2009, our association has been cooperating with the Slovak Academic Association for International Cooperation - National Agency of the Lifelong Learning Program. The National Agency supported us in two projects under the title "Visits and exchanges". In 2010, we succeeded in the "Workshop - Creative Workrooms", and the project "Learning Partnerships" was approved in 2012.

Workshop: The Handicraft was held from 27th of June to 6th of July 2011 in the village of Gerlachov, in the High Tatras. Twenty attendees were composed of participants from Poland, Austria, Hungary and the Czech Republic. The theme of the workshop was the basic mastery of folk crafts, such as ceramics, decoration of pots and cloth techniques.

Six ceramics lecturers taught the basics of ceramics: circular circle, figural creation, glazing and painting of ceramics during the first five days. In the next five days, the lecturers were teaching wiping techniques, decorating Easter eggs and teaching the play on folk musical instruments. There were adult learners, seniors and people with disabilities among all participants. Throughout the workshop, everyone has mastered the techniques of folk crafts. In leisure time, we took part in optional trips to Štrbské Pleso and folklore festival to the village East. The excellent location of the guest house provided excursions to the surroundings and visits to popular sites. Foreign participants learned not only about Slovak crafts and folklore, but also the nature and locations of the High Tatras.

The workshop was funded by the Slovak Academic Association for International Cooperation under the Grundtvig sub-program, which addresses the needs in the field of teaching and learning of adults involved in adult education.

For more information about this successful Lifelong Learning Program projects, you can download a brochure which features an article about the Workshop: The Handicraft on page