Folk Crafts & Rhythms, led by Crane Creatives and made possible by The National Lottery

Heritage Fund, thanks to National Lottery players, celebrates and preserves

the rich cultural heritage of Eastern European communities in the UK.

Two musicians performing traditional Eastern European folk music indoors, one playing a red accordion and the other playing a violin, both smiling and engaging with the audience.

The Guildhall Museum,
Guildhall Ln,
Leicester,
LE1 5FQ

FREE event

Upcoming Dates:

Sunday, 8 February 2026

Sunday, 5 April 2026

Sunday 8 February 2026:

Enjoy live traditional Polish music with

Karolina Węgrzyn — followed by learning, singing, and dancing to traditional Polish songs
Folk music performance rounds and activities with Karolina Wegrzyn:

11.00am, 12.00pm and 2.00pm.

Take part in Wycinanki – traditional Polish paper cutting. Drop in at any time, 11:00 am–4:00 pm.

Sunday 5 April 2026:

Explore various Eastern European Easter traditions!
We will be exhibiting beautifully decorated

Easter eggs inspired by traditional Eastern European techniques.

Slovak Easter Egg Decorating Workshop

Try the traditional Slovak wax-resist technique and decorate your own Easter eggs in a guided, hands-on workshop.

Easter Egg Competition

Do you have Eastern European roots and

egg designs so stunning they belong in a museum?

This is your chance! Bring in your creations and be part of the celebration.

Each participant may register up to three eggs.
Registration takes place at 11 am on 5 April at The Guildhall.

Folk Crafts & Rhythms, led by Crane Creatives and made possible by the Heritage Fund,

celebrates and preserves the rich cultural heritage of Eastern European communities in the UK.

The project features a series of workshops and oral-history recordings

that engage the local community and Eastern European families in learning about and

appreciating traditional crafts, music, dance and stories passed down through generations.

Who’s it for?

Everyone suitable for

individuals and

families with children.

Event language: English.

A traditional motanka doll crafted during the workshop, made from floral fabric and decorated with red-and-white embroidered patterns. The doll, an important symbol in Ukrainian and Eastern European folk culture, is shown being held up for display.

Participants gathered inside a large medieval timber-framed hall at the Guildhall Museum. Rows of seated attendees watch a presenter at the front leading a cultural activity as part of the Folk Crafts & Rhythms programme. The room’s historic wooden beams and leaded windows create an atmospheric heritage setting for the event.

Close-up of a participant’s hands creating a traditional motanka doll using pieces of colourful floral fabric and embroidered cloth. The table is covered with textile materials used in the workshop, showing the detailed, hands-on process of this Ukrainian folk craft

Belonging: Voices of Eastern Europe in the UK

We invite Eastern Europeans in the UK to take part in friendly 20 – 30 minute

conversations, either on site or online.

What we’re curious about:

Journeys to the UK and first impressions
Traditions kept alive — crafts, music, dance, language
Passing culture to the next generation
Life in UK and contributions to community life

Why take part?

Our voices matter. Too often, stories about Eastern Europeans are told by others — but we believe in empowering you to tell your own story.

These conversations will be preserved in an archive so that the experiences, traditions,

and contributions of Eastern Europeans in the UK are not lost.

By giving just 20 minutes of your time, you help ensure that our history is remembered and celebrated for future generations.

Handwoven Latvian and Eastern European textile belts featuring intricate patterns and bright colours hang in a line across the timber-framed interior of the Guildhall Museum. The belts showcase regional weaving techniques demonstrated during the Folk Crafts & Rhythms textile workshop.

Families and community members gather around a craft table inside the Guildhall Museum’s timber-framed hall, making traditional Eastern European items such as motanka dolls and textile decorations. A facilitator stands nearby supporting participants, while others explore the space in the background.

Members of a Latvian folk dance group dressed in traditional regional costumes—women in patterned skirts and vests, men in waistcoats and caps—pose for a group photograph inside the timber-framed hall at the Guildhall Museum. Heritage banners stand behind them, highlighting the cultural context of the performance.

Easter Special – Sunday 5 April 2026

Celebrate Easter by exploring a rich variety of Eastern European Easter traditions. Visit our themed stalls to discover, learn about, and even try traditional customs from across Eastern Europe.

The exhibition will feature beautifully decorated Easter eggs, inspired by traditional Eastern European techniques and craftsmanship.

Easter Egg Competition

Do you have Eastern European roots and create Easter egg designs so stunning they could belong in a museum?

This is your chance to showcase your talent! Bring your creations and take part in this special celebration of heritage and artistry.

Each participant may register up to three eggs

Registration: 11:00 am, Sunday 5 April 2026

Location: The Guildhall

What Happens Next

Selected eggs will be displayed throughout the day for visitors to admire. A small panel will highlight pieces that demonstrate exceptional craftsmanship, creativity, or strong cultural storytelling.

All participants will receive a thank-you certificate. Featured creators will be invited for a photo opportunity, and three winners will receive gifts.

We look forward to celebrating these beautiful traditions with you!

Join us for a festive day celebrating culture, creativity, and Easter traditions from Eastern Europe.

Slovak Easter Egg Decorating Workshop

Try the traditional Slovak wax-resist technique and decorate your own Easter eggs in a guided, hands-on workshop.

Discover the beauty and symbolism of traditional Slovak Easter eggs in this creative, hands-on workshop using the centuries-old wax-resist technique.

Guided by artist Andrea, you will learn about the patterns, symbols and cultural meanings behind Easter traditions in Slovakia. Andrea will demonstrate the wax-application methods step-by-step, after which you will design and decorate up to two eggs of your own.

The workshop lasts approximately 1 to 1.5 hours.

Please note: this session is for adults only, and participants will need to sign a short safety waiver on the day after receiving instructions for working with hot wax.

Book your workshop via Eventbrite

BOOK NOW - LIMITED SPACES

Free workshop – booking essential via Eventbrite.

Date: Sunday 5 April 2026

Times & Capacity:

11:00–12:30 – 10 participants

13:00–14:30 – 10 participants

14:30–16:00 – 10 participants

All materials are provided. No prior experience is needed.

Folk Crafts & Rhythms.

The Guildhall Museum in Leicester came alive with the sounds of traditional Ukrainian music performed by Iryna Muha. Visitors enjoyed intimate live performances on traditional instruments, learning about the stories and rhythms behind the melodies.

Many guests took part in hands-on sessions, picking up a few notes and joining in to make music together. Alongside the music, families also explored Motanka doll-making, discovering this beautiful folk art tradition in a relaxed, creative atmosphere.

Past Events: Folk Crafts & Rhythms Highlights

A musician leads a small group session inside the Guildhall Museum’s timber-framed hall, holding up a traditional Eastern European folk instrument while adults and children listen and observe. Several participants hold song sheets or notes as they engage in the musical demonstration.

Visitors sit in rows of chairs inside the Guildhall Museum’s timber-framed hall, listening to a musician performing traditional Eastern European folk music. The performer stands at the front of the room with heritage displays behind her, creating an engaging atmosphere for the Folk Crafts & Rhythms event.

Participants of all ages cluster around two tables inside the Guildhall Museum’s timber-framed hall, working together on traditional Eastern European crafts such as doll-making and textile decoration. A workshop leader guides the group while others assist children and families during the hands-on activity.

A musician shows a traditional Eastern European folk instrument to a small group of children and adults during the Folk Crafts & Rhythms event at the Guildhall Museum. The group stands near the stage in a timber-framed hall, engaging closely with the cultural demonstration.

The following month, the Guildhall hosted a vibrant celebration of Latvian culture featuring the Leicester Latvian Folk Dance Group Rokraksts.

The group performed energetic and colourful traditional dances in striking folk costumes, delighting visitors with their artistry.

Guests were invited to learn a few steps and join in, filling the museum with rhythm and joy.

Throughout the day, participants also explored

traditional Latvian belt-making, connecting with Latvia’s rich cultural heritage through hands-on creative workshops.

An audience seated in a historic timber-framed hall watching a group of dancers in traditional Eastern European costumes performing on stage.

A close-up of a handmade motanka doll featuring embroidered cross-stitch patterns and a brightly patterned skirt, held up by a participant during the workshop. In the background, a musician performs traditional Eastern European music on stage inside the Guildhall Museum’s timber-framed hall.

“I came especially to hear the Ukrainian folk musicians, and I was amazed by the story of the hurdy-gurdy. I didn’t know that during the years of russification, this instrument was banned in Ukraine and only survived through diaspora communities abroad. To hear it played here, in Leicester, felt very powerful. Music carries memories, and today reminded me how important it is to protect cultural traditions that have been threatened or silenced.”

“Many of my students are from Eastern Europe, so I came to learn more about their heritage. The workshops gave me a much deeper understanding of their traditions, especially how music, crafts and storytelling shape identity. It will help me support my students better in the classroom. It was also lovely to see how confident they were when they recognised aspects of their own cultures being celebrated so openly.”

“Making motanka dolls today made me feel proud. This is something my mother taught me when I was a child in Ukraine, and to share it here—with people who had never seen this craft before—felt meaningful. I was able to explain the symbolism, the fabrics, and why the dolls have no faces. For me, it is a connection to home. Seeing others interested in our traditions, during such a difficult time for Ukrainians, gave me hope and strength.”

“I rehearse regularly with the Latvian dance group in Leicester, but performing for a wider audience and teaching the basic steps to new people meant so much to us. Folk dancing is joyful, but it’s also a living connection to our ancestors. Seeing people of all ages try it for the first time—and enjoy it—reminded me why we keep these traditions alive.”

“I’m visiting my cousin in Melton from Australia and saw this event advertised. My grandfather was Latvian, but I grew up knowing very little about the culture. Joining the dance workshop was emotional for me—it felt like discovering a part of my family history that I never had access to.”

wo women talking during a traditional textile workshop, with woven belts and craft materials displayed around them inside a timber-framed hall

Each season is linked to a celebration that honours nature, and straw mobiles have long been part of the preparations for these festivities.

Hung on strings, these delicate creations would sway gently in

the warm air, casting mesmerising shadow patterns around them.

In folklore, straw mobiles were believed to absorb negative energy and protect the people nearby, acting as guardians of harmony.

After the celebrations, the mobiles were burned to ensure that any captured negativity or evil spirits could not escape, completing their role as purifiers and protectors.

Straw Mobiles

We made straw mobiles as part of our Folk Crafts & Rhythms project, inspired by a craft tradition with deep roots in Eastern Europe.

Similar straw mobiles are found across the Baltic countries, Poland, and Ukraine, where they are known by different names: sodas in Lithuania, puzuris in Latvia, õlgmobile or õlekroon in Estonia, pająk in Polish, and павук in Ukrainian—both the Polish and Ukrainian terms translating to “spider.”

For centuries, elders in these regions have created straw mobiles as a way to bring harmony and inner peace into the home. The making process is often described as self-organising and calming, encouraging focus, mindfulness, and a deeper connection to the present moment.

These mobiles are based on a symbolic structure. The vertical axis represents the flow of past, present, and future, while the horizontal axis points to the four directions: North, South, East, and West. At the very centre lies the now—the present moment.

One of the most common traditional designs includes twelve smaller elements, symbolising the months of the year, coming together to form a complete cycle and reflecting the rhythms of time and nature.

"It was wonderful to share this craft with museum attendees today. I loved making straw mobiles with my godmother when I was a child, and returning to this practice brought back many treasured memories.

Sharing those memories with people in Leicester felt especially meaningful.

In earlier times, before television, long dark evenings were often spent by candlelight. Straw mobiles would gently sway in the warm air, casting moving shadows on the walls—beautiful, ever-changing ornaments made of light and motion. In Latvia, we called them puzuri, and I can clearly see why in Poland and Ukraine they are known as “spiders”: in the shadows, the straw shapes really do resemble spider legs dancing.

While teaching local participants how to make puzuri, we also enjoyed a rich exchange of knowledge about British folk traditions. I was particularly fascinated to learn about apple carving, and I’m very curious to try it out."

All digital assets produced through Folk Crafts & Rhythms are openly licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence (CC BY 4.0), allowing reuse with appropriate credit.

Enquiries: Liga — ligacranecreatives@gmail.com

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