With the first rays of spring Sun, a new cycle is born in the village. The work within the rural household requires a certain set of skills and knowledge necessary for uninterrupted, continuous survival. Some of the skills used in certain rural jobs are exclusively tied to the rural environment that shapes them. In the old days, prior to the industrial revolution, heavy physical, manual labor was the only way the land would be cultivated or livestock raised. To alleviate the grueling work, always tied to unpredictable weather conditions, since the Middle Ages, members of (rural) communities in the Balkans have organized moba.
Moba, on the verge of extinction since the middle of the last century, implies voluntary, mutual support amongst communities during field work seasons in the villages. In addition to work and mutual assistance, moba served to gather people for socializing, laughter, games and songs and other actions that would fill and cheer up the lives of the the villagers. By experimental reanactment of moba, through the exchange of knowledge and care for the collective spirit, we strive to learn about the principles of sustainability and strengthen the idea of socializing and rural communities that nurture non-industrial principles and methods of production that lead to final extraction.
plums collecting
Sezona: Septembar – Oktobar
Otresanje i sakupljanje šljiva u kace i priprema za pečenje.
hay stacking
Sezona: Jun – Jul
Košenje livade, prikupljanje sena i nabacivanje sena na senik.
brandy making
Sezona: Septembar – Oktobar
Priprema kazana, drva za loženje, i pečenje rakije.
vegetables fermentation
Sezona: Septembar – Oktobar
Priprema kazana, drva za loženje, i pečenje rakije.
The modern way of life and the demands of hyperproduction often overlook the necessity of rest, entertainment, and mutual gratitude and honoring of life, laughter, and our communities. In the old days, prelo took place after a hard working day in the field, when community members would gather in the house, or outdoors, during the summer months, for fun and pastime. By organizing movie nights, gatherings around camp fires, board games, patron saints celebrations, and other honors, we aim for experimental recreation and revival of this concept that is on the verge of its extinction.
celebration
Our gatherings and organizing of various programs are an opportunity to celebrate the labor and express gratitude to everyone who contributes to and supports our actions. We celebrate togetherness and the value of leisure time for in-person socializing, while challenging patriarchal norms, imposed traditional, religious, and gender roles, and divisions of labor. Besides the residents, workshop, and Summer School participants, our friends and neighbors join us during these celebrations. Our neighbors, besides their presence, often enhance the occasion with homemade products from their households. For our household, it is an opportunity to heat the oven and roast delicious pieces of meat and sweet vegetables, which have been used for roasting services for years.
film evening
Since December 2023, we have been occasionally organizing screenings of feature and animated films for children and youth. The gatherings take place on weekends.
board games
As part of the weekend gatherings with children from the neighborhood, we sometimes organize presentations of certain board games that the children can create themselves. The idea is to reduce the focus on competition and move away from the use of electronic devices. The goal is to encourage children to interact more with each other within the group, stimulate their imagination and thinking, and create joint stories through playing games.
bonfire storytelling
There was a sheepfold in the yard that great-grandmother Milica and great-grandfather Marko built. At the beginning of the construction of the Meeting Point, we demolished the old sheepfold and moved the sheep to another part of the yard, to the barn where grandmother and aunt once kept cows. From the foundation stone, the first open fire pit was made in the yard, envisioned as a gathering place where the energies of the world and people meet, stories intertwine, dialogues are built, ideas are created, and demons get chased away. Besides being a place for gathering and positive energy that gets created through interaction with people, the firepit also serves as a place for cleansing, both of the property and our thoughts, by burning all the excesses we encounter in the process of renovation.
slava | patron saint day
Slavljenje slave u našem selu odvija se svake godine početkom avgusta, na Ilindan, kada se ugošćava mnoštvo ljudi i u okviru spojenih stolova razgovara o politici, hrani, poslovima, vremenu i ljudima. Prijatelji i porodice kroz generacije posećuju i znaju da su prostori njihovih kuća, na dan slave, uvek otvoreni, uprkos čestom sukobljavanju ličnih stavova i mišljenja.