Experience Ukraine
This December Mary Ward House in central London will be transformed into a textile capital for one day only, as the Selvedge Winter Fair gets underway. The exhibitors at the fair have been hand-picked to match Selvedge's values: promoting traditional and contemporary artisanal skills, providing excellent design, and demonstrating social responsibility.
Experience Ukraine is a tour company with a difference: they aim to promote a kind of "socially responsible tourism" that involves working alongside local communities. Ukraine is a country rich in culture and beauty, and Experience Ukraine seeks to share these things with visitors in a responsible manner.
They are a family-run company, based in Herefordshire. The family is partly of Ukrainian descent, so it is important to them to provide genuine and meaningful experiences. Tours usually take place around remote rural areas of the Carpathian Mountains and only use local guides and local accommodation. This is so that money stays in the community, rather than bleeding out to international tour companies.
The Lizhnyk weaving tour provides visitors with the chance to stay with local families and craftspeople, who can share their ancient traditions and knowledge. Lizhnyks are patterned woollen blankets, which are frequently used in everyday life. Lizhnyk weaving is a staple of Ukrainian textile heritage and visitors will learn how to create their own.
Experience Ukraine will be exhibiting traditional Ukrainian products at the Selvedge Winter Fair on 1 December 2018. To find out more about the event and to book your ticket, click here. You can get 2 for 1 tickets with the code FAIR2FOR1.
Read more about Ukrainian textiles in the East issue.
Blog post by Jessica Edney
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