Paper short abstract:

An employment and hobby realization possibilities are very important for rural development. Traditional craft skills are used in both of these areas. A good opportunity for the promotion of traditional knowledge is event "Meet your master!"

Paper long abstract:

An employment and hobby realization possibilities are very important for rural development. Traditional craft skills as part of the intangible cultural heritage are used in both of these areas. Both society’s and individual’s interest to pay attention to a heritage of traditional culture is promoted by a desire to fulfill one’s own cultural identity in nowadays cosmopolitical world. This allows traditional knowledge to find their place in rural tourism and the activities of individual producers, etc. A good opportunity for the promotion of traditional knowledge is event "Meet your master!".

The interest about traditional craft is increasing in Latvian society. It is individual’s initiative and a desire to develop special skills, a desire to find out more about traditional cultural heritage and as well as a result of activities and events (festivals, summer schools, workshops etc.) organized by state institutions (for example, Latvian National culture centre) and social organizations (different non-governmental organizations, interest groups). One of such activities which has been happening every spring since 2009 and is widespread unit of seperate workshops in Latvia is „Meet your master!” The idea of this event is to inform society about a human, his knowledge and skills which have been maintained and inherited from generation to generation. A large part of the activities take place in rural environment. Every year the number of masters and people interested in this activity is increasing.