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| | | |  | Prishtina's Ethnological Museum
The Ethnological Museum is my favourite place in Pristina. Indeed, I am the founder member of the Facebook group The Ethnological Museum is my favourite place in Pristina
The museum is made up of an eighteenth century and a nineteenth century house, set in gardens which form an oasis of elegance in the concrete heart of Kosovo's capital. |  | When I first went to visit it, I was wary that it might be all pots and rugs. Far from it. The older house is left as a city home might have been in the eighteenth century (but without any of those scary mannequins in 'everyday' poses which haunt some 'reconstructions' I've seen in museums); the newer building houses an exhibit with each room taking a theme such as birth, marriage, death and the echoes after death.
But most of all, it's the young engaging guides at the museum which make it such an appealing place. Having got to know some of them, I offered myself as a volunteer at the museum, and we embarked on an exciting series of events and initiatives to attract visitors to the museum, and bring elements of Kosovo's heritage to life. |  | Events and initiatives
The first idea was to put on special demonstrations in the grounds of the museum on summer Saturdays. The national dish of Kosovar Albanians, fli, was cooked in the traditional way over an open fire in the gardens, and served to visitors.
On subsequent Saturdays we had the making of other food (pite) demonstrated to visitors, and then we added to the museum's repertoire by inviting musicians to play. One week, we invited a village elder to explain the role of the pleqnar in making rulings over elements of village life using the Kanun of Leke Dukagjini. Another week, a woman came to demonstrate weaving on a traditional loom. |  | After the success of the summer Saturdays, we ran a residency for local artists. For a week, they worked in the museum creating new work inspired by the artefacts and buildings around them. At the end of the week their work was put up for sale with half of the proceeds going to the artist and half to the museum.
The interest shown in this residency led us to set up another residency funded by the British Embassy in Pristina. A photographer worked in the museum for a week, taking photographs and supporting visitors to take their own, using cameras donated by the Embassy. The best of the work produced during that week was displayed at the end of the residency and 10 images were chosen to be made into postcards to be sold at the museum.
Finally, a week-long crafts residency was organised. A range of craftspeople, from a plise hat maker to a filigranist, wood carvers and potters, embroiderers and clothes designers, worked in the museum for a week using the museum's collection as inspiration for new work. The crafts they had made were put up for sale at the end of the week. | | | | | | | | |
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