IV Viljandi Repair Festival 2025
On September 20, 2025, the 4th Viljandi Repair Festival will take place. The event will unfold in and around the Vilma house of the University of Tartu Viljandi Culture Academy (UT VCA).
Its goal is to promote sustainable consumption and raise awareness about repair practices and their benefits. Do not throw away a worn or broken item lightly. Prolong its life by maintaining, repairing, or reusing it! At the Repair Festival, you can take part in a wide variety of workshops that offer the opportunity to learn new skills and restore your beloved but worn-out or broken items.
You can repair your clothes, glasses, watches, or even your body, and help bring new life to jewellery, bicycles, and tools in need of care. Alongside the workshops, you will find a rich additional program featuring guided tours, a flea market, book presentations, a plant swap, local craft sales, concerts, and an international seminar.
The event also celebrates the 742nd birthday of the city of Viljandi and expands beyond Vilma house courtyard to nearby areas and the Sakala Centre. The festival is part of the Viljandi: UNESCO Creative City programme and is organised by the University of Tartu Viljandi Culture Academy. The event is supported by the City of Viljandi, the Estonian Cultural Endowment, and funding by the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement No. 101132628.
Location: Vilma house yard (Turu 7)
Programme
11:00 – 18:00 workshops
12:00 festival opening
12:30 Vilma house tour with Arnold Kimber
13.00 Sauna Rituals for Women at the Viljandi City Sauna with Kairi Leivo
13:30 Presentation of Heiki Raudla’s book “Viljandi lood ja legendid, 2. osa” (Viljandi stories and legends: part 2)
14:00 CULTURALITY seminar: repair, culture, and sustainable craftsmanship
14:00 City tour around the Vilma house with Joosep Metsland
15:00 Sauna Rituals for Men at the Viljandi City Sauna with Hendrik Komlev
16:00 Vilma house tour with Ave Matsin 16:00
17:00 Silver Sepp’s concert
19:00 Presentation concert of the Cätlin & Marko Mägi duo’s album "Mägikaikavedu" (bar “Maal”, Tartu tn. 7c)
Workshops
Led by: Grete Ots, Helen Rebane, Sille Siidirätsep
We will show simple techniques for book repair: fixing tears, spines, and dog-ears. We will also discuss how to take care of old books and share useful tips. If you like, you can create your own personal ex libris. Bring your favourite book!
Led by: Viljandi city library
Discover the richness of the Estonian language in a playful way! In this workshop, we will explore idioms, the Mulgi dialect, and everyday language use.
Led by: Kairi Orav
We will learn how to darn knitwear and patch socks. If you wish, you can bring your own materials, but everything needed will also be available on site
Led by: Aivi Tamm
Decorative mending and reinforcement of clothing using the traditional Japanese Sashiko technique. Bring your favourite garment with a hole you would like to repair decoratively or a worn area you want to strengthen.
Led by: Astri Kaljus and Urve Niinemets
We will revamp T-shirts, tote bags, and other clothing items using screen printing and appliqué. Together, we will create something new and unique that covers stains and adds personality to your garment.
Led by: Maris Taul, Inna Raud, and UT VCA students
Location: UT VCA Vilma house gallery
If you have a folk costume that needs repair, bring it along! We will provide guidance and share knowledge and skills on the care and restoration of traditional costumes.
Led by: Marta Konovalov
We will create new stories on clothing using patches. We will fix stains and holes creatively and share memories connected to our garments.
Led by: Tiina Zujenkov
Let’s sew a lovely little woollen pouch for glasses or other essentials. All the tools are provided, and you will take home a new and useful item.
Led by: UT Viljandi Culture Academy students
Location: Turu tn. 5a
We recycle textiles by turning old clothes and fabric scraps into woven bags and baskets, or maybe even a sculpture. If you wish, bring your own materials, but we will also provide everything needed.
Led by: Käthlin Palu
In this workshop, we will make a keychain from the skins of fish caught in the Gulf of Riga and from production leftovers. Basic skills in using a needle and scissors are required for sewing.
Led by: Lahemaa Pärimuskoda / Roland Burk
We will learn how to sharpen and maintain various tools for handicrafts to ensure they last long and work well. On site, you will get advice, try out tools, and experiment yourself.
Led by: students of the UT VCA BA programme “Estonian Native Crafts” (specialisation: construction)
Come and learn how to properly sharpen woodworking tools such as axes and chisels. We will share practical knowledge and give you the chance to try it yourself.
Led by: Mario Karro
We will learn how to prepare a scythe for mowing, how to peen it, and how to hone it. If you have your own scythe, bring it along – we will check it together!
Led by: Indrek Ikkonen
Location: UT VCA smithy
Come and get advice on how to care for and clean silver jewellery and other items. If needed, we will also do simple repairs.
Led by: Tõnis Luik
We will bring metal items to the forge that need reshaping. If necessary, send a photo of the item in advance ([email protected]).
Led by: Eilve Manglus and UT VCA students
Come and explore student works and learn how to care for metal items. On site, we will demonstrate how to clean and maintain jewellery and other metal objects.
Led by: Monika Morel and UT VCA students
Location: UT VCA chemistry lab
In this workshop, we will clean and restore small metal utility items using the facilities of the chemistry lab and knowledge from the native crafts studies
Led by: Jürgen Sisask and UT VCA students
In this workshop, we will focus on fixing dents and damage in tin items such as boxes, dishes, and other small sheet metal objects.
Led by: Tuuli Tubin McGinley / Heimtali museum (Estonian National Museum)
Inspired by Yoko Ono’s installation “Mend Piece”, this workshop invites you to creatively repair broken items. All materials (glue, tape, threads, etc.) are provided to help you transform what is already there into something new. Finished pieces will be displayed throughout the day.
Led by: Margit Randmäe
Bring your broken beaded necklace and give it new life! On site, you can repair it or create a new piece of jewellery.
Led by: Peep Tobreluts and Piret Pihtjõe
We are world-fixers at heart, believing that the world can be improved through small steps, like changing our mindset. How can we care for and restore the land? How can we protect and use water wisely? How can we become more resilient?
Led by: Themuri Sulamanidze
Did you know that a tin can or an ice cream stick can sound like a real musical instrument? In this fun workshop you will learn how everyday objects can be given new life as musical instruments. Bring your own homemade instruments, too. We will be happy to share experiences!
Led by: Annika and Roosi Mändmaa
November is not far away – soon it will be time to go santima! Then it’s great to have your very own handmade mask ready. In the workshop you can let your imagination and creativity run free, crafting a mask that speaks to you the most.
Both children and parents are welcome – why not make a mask together and later pass it on as a keepsake?
Led by: Precious Plastic Tartu
An ordinary plastic bag can take up to 1000 years to decompose in nature, yet we use them on average for only 12 minutes, causing serious pollution problems for the environment. In this open workshop, we’ll turn LDPE plastic bags into bookmarks, making the most of this long-lasting material and giving participants a chance to discover simple ways to turn waste into treasure. The workshop is suitable for everyone.
Led by: Tõnu Tiirmaa
We will learn how to make hoops from splitting and cleaning the rods, to bending, carving the lock, and finally fitting the hoop in place. We’ll also discuss the sustainable use of wooden hoop vessels.
If you have an old vessel in need of new hoops, bring it along and we’ll help restore it.
Led by: Viljandi Day Centre
Under the guidance of the card-making masters from Viljandi Day Centre, you can create your own beautiful and detailed greeting cards – for birthdays, Father’s Day, or even to start preparing for Christmas.
In the booklet “Mulgikiilsid ütlemisi 2”, page 14 explains that Keri põrgu! in the Mulk dialect means Go away! But here, you don’t have to go anywhere. Instead, you’re invited to come closer and start winding yarn. Along the way, we’ll share stories about winding, leaving, even about “hell” — and really any tales that come to mind.
Workshop led by: Piret Koorep
