Casa do Cesteiro Basket-weaving Centre
C/ Real nº10 36202 Vigo
TEL: 986 224 003
E-mail: Casa.cesteiro.vigo@telefonica.net
Set up in 1999 under the European program URBAN, the centre is coordinated by the Traditional Crafts Centre and both are members of Vigo City Heritage Service. The art of basket weaving was once a great tradition in Vigo as can be seen from the street known as Cesteiros in the Old Quarter.
The main aim of the centre is to recover the different types and designs of basket and weaving techniques. It focuses on promoting the trade of basket weaving and the product itself, creating an environment where each piece becomes a unique creation that appeals to the emotions and memory. It is hoped that new basket weavers will be able to make a living from the trade as this is a relatively underexploited market with a demand for items with an authentic flavour.
Work at the centre includes all aspects of setting up a network with a view to making basket weaving as a trade sustainable. It is also responsible for the production of raw materials, recovering designs and techniques, training and promoting the trade.
The centre carries out research and field work which is a vital factor in passing on knowledge from one generation of weavers to another. Students are trained in the main techniques used in Galicia and learn all the secrets of the trade.