The story we want to get closer to you started in early February 2018. Mr. Martin Podstavek, the head of the Slovak Economic and Cultural Office in Taipei, from Taiwan, an admirer of the folkloric folklore, called P. Holík with the request – offer to exhibit costumes and traditional folk instruments used in the past in Ocova and in area of Podpolanie at the 2018 YIlan International Children’s Folklore & Folk Festival Festival from 07.07. to 19.08.2018. They followed weeks of telephone and e-mail communications, interviews with several well-trained people, and many of the questions we were looking for answers to. When it came to the most important – an official invitation to the festival and the deadline for sending all the required items, which was the end of the March.
The artifacts we have selected from the Minimuseum located in the Remeselny Dvor have therefore had to compile, package, label, photograph, describe and make a very detailed list. This included not only the name of the subject or the costume, but also the period from which it came, the reason for using it in the past, from which the material is. It was important to weigh every package and box because the shipment traveled through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Affairs to the diplomatic post via the Air Cargo Global airline to Taipei City of Taipei.
The invitation for P. Holík is related to his two tasks at the festival: 1. just before his start to help install the parts correctly; and 2. present the fujaru, preserve traditional crafts in the Remeseln Court and perform a folk dance school.
As with folk and folklor fans, as well as fans of traditional folk crafts, we would like to share this exceptional participation (the festival will be attended by around 100 ensembles from around the world, only one costume exhibitor and traditional folklorics from Slovakia) and we will bring you in this section, images of preparation and stay alone (thanks to the amazingly willing Mrs. Chen LIANG, Ph.D., from SEKU, Taipei). So keep an eye on us – so you’ll get the latest information on our representative’s actions on this event.