From August 14 to 25, Riga Technical University (RTU) is organising an international summer school in the field of wooden design and art «Woodcraft and Art Summer School», during which 27 students from 12 countries will acquire theoretical and practical skills in woodworking techniques and design.
The Summer School will be organised by the Institute of Design Technologies (IDT) of the Faculty of Materials Science and Applied Chemistry in cooperation with the International Relations Department of RTU and will take place at the IDT premises in Riga and in Vienkoču Park in Ligatne.
The theme of the summer school is related to the history of traditional Latvian material – wood and its products, «games» with different types of timber acquired in Latvia, Latvian wood products, creative thinking and DIY approach, creating the added value of one’s own work, influenced by the Latvian ancient or contemporary works, decorating, functionally finishing and ornamenting.
The summer school will provide students with an opportunity not only to get an understanding of wood design, materials, technologies, compounds, but also to acquire skills of wood product manufacturing. The summer school offers a programme consisting of lectures, workshops and discussions, company site visits, countryside visits, guided excursions and social events. Students of the summer school will have an opportunity to master working with woodworking machines at the premises of the Institute of Design Technologies and Vienkoču Park, creating various household items that can be brought back to their homeland.
Under the supervision of RTU IDT professionals and woodworking specialists, students will acquire theoretical knowledge and practical skills in designing and creating wood products using traditional and contemporary woodworking tools. The programme will be conducted by a local team of leading experts in the wood processing industry – designers, artists, technologists, designing engineers and invited experts.
At the Wood Technology Workshop of RTU Institute of Design Technologies, Ķīpsalas Street 6, in Riga, the participants of the summer school will acquire skills in working with woodworking machines. The second part of the summer school programme will take place in Vienkoču Park and the Woodcraft Museum in Ligatne, where participants will learn how to use manual woodworking tools while processing round timber and creating woodenware.
RTU Woodcraft and Art Summer School has already been organised for the second year. Last year, its theme was «Journey Beyond the Traditional Wooden Craft and Art» with 13 students from six countries.
