It is my absolute pleasure to inform that finally, my bagpipe making workshop is up and running!!!

I must say it took too long to give you this news!
I feel like I have been moving around my machines since April 2019. Moving all the way from Portugal was challenging, and finding an appropriate workshop place in the University, to conduct my doctoral research, ended up being impossible.
That resulted in three moves altogether, until the last “resting place” of my machines and equipment – The most perfect place to rent, 5kms from Helsinki city centre, appeared suddenly in December 2019, just like a Christmas present.
It’s hard to fathom, but accidents have happened during two of the three moves, resulting in damaged machines, that I had to repair myself. But of course, only after ordering and receiving replacement parts over the mail, sometimes from abroad.

Well, all of that is behind me now.
Since the very beginning, several Finnish friends have demonstrated incredible kindness and support, helping me install, move, secure additional furniture, wood, equipment, accessory and tools.
The Finnish public foundations and the university have also picked up on the progress of the work being done at the workshop and accepted to support our “Woodwind Research Laboratory” space, that now houses the projects “GaitaMaker”, “The Finnd’it initiative” & “GoncaloCruz.com”
Collectively we have already been granted support by the “Sibelius Academy Foundation”, “Uniarts”, “Taike”, “Kone Foundation” and the “Alfred Kordelin Foundation”.

Although our projects have gained enormous moment, the workshop bagpipe making work itself has experience slow progress, with the pandemic upon us for the entire 2020.

I have pushed for a proper opening of the workshop, with friends, music, food and drink; but after postponing three times, I decided to do a symbolic opening, during an online doctoral seminar meeting. Different Professors, Pipers and Researchers from around the world, attended!
I was quite moved by their symbolic show of support.

We are now working full steam at the workshop, and although it won’t be the same, I have still not given up on an actual “in situ” opening!
I will let you know of an official date after the Covid mess is behind us!

Hope to see you all there very soon!!!

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www.Taike.fi
www.kordelin.fi
www.koneensaatio.fi
www.Uniarts.fi
www.GoncaloCruz.com
www.Finndit.org
www.GaitaMaker.com