Around the dinner table

On feast days, the table is set in a special way in every Estonian home. Food is an important part of the celebrations, but so are culture and values, attitudes and skills. It is the foundation on which the future rests and which ensures our survival. The exhibition, which combines food and spiritual culture, showcases the characteristics of Viljandi County and Mulgimaa, the traditions passed down from generation to generation and the opportunities for sustainability.

The exhibition, which explores the meaning of survival, looks back from the present day to the early days of the Republic of Estonia, introducing the food culture and history of Viljandi Country and Mulgimaa through museum objects and visuals. At the heart of the project is the co-creation of young people and the elderly: both in the creation of exhibition content and educational public programmes and in the organisation of heritage workshops.  In cooperation with different generations, an illustrated recipe book will be published in Estonian, English and the Mulgi dialect. The exhibition will be on display from October 1 to December 31, 2024.

The project is kicked off with a writing competition in which young people from Viljandi County will reflect on the food culture they have inherited. Their reflections are supported by the elderly who, through storytelling, enrich the young people’s writings with their historical experience. The thoughts that emerge from the co-creation are an inspiration for the exhibition.

The exhibition will be enriched by lectures from experts and workshops that deal with heritage. The educational public programmes take place in Estonian, English and the  Mulgi dialect and are aimed primarily at children, young people and the elderly.

The exhibition and its complementary activities will help to promote intergenerational co-creation and introduce the rich culture of Viljandi County and Mulgimaa to a wider audience.