More About Handcraft Village
We are a small community of adults with diverse learning styles engaged in the archetypal work of creating culture from the substance of our natural environment.
Who We Are - There is a phenomenon called the “Euphemism Escalator”. It works like this: Any attempt to create a politically correct way of defining discreet populations will eventually be regarded as being derogatory. Handcraft Village avoids this effect by using the term “Adults With Diverse Learning Styles”. And does so with the intention that it be inclusive of every individual engaged in our work. We believe that each of us contributes unique perspectives, capabilities, and challenges and thus our daily tasks are performed in a cultural environment that is rich and fulfilling.
Where We Are - The Handcraft Village Workshops are one element of a day services and residential program held on a 240 acre farm located in New England USA. The farm is home to an intentional community that is modeled on “Life Sharing”: Individuals that are incapable of living independently are members of integrated households in which all share equally in the common tasks of home life.
What We Do - Workshops in the community are held on a daily basis, with morning and afternoon sessions of three hours each. These include: farming, gardening, cooking, baking, land work, home arts, and a variety of handcrafts. Workshops range in size from three to ten participants and include individuals from the greater community. A weekly schedule is followed with individuals typically participating in a variety of workshops throughout the week.
The Handcraft Village workshops maintain a unique position amongst these daily offerings in that our workshops are not product-based but are rather designed to provide the equivalent of college level learning for our younger participants. Therefore, considerable time is devoted to skill-building activities that may potentially contribute to further vocational pursuits; however, our primary concern is to expand the faculty of learning itself.