Living heritage in the Nordic countries

Hanaholmen, Espoo

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31.10 - 2.11.2019

International Conference on the Role of Communities and the Possibility for New Sustainable Societies

Registration for the conference is now closed!

The conference is free of charge, but registration is required.
Please register no later than October 9th 2019 via the link below.

REGISTER HERE

Living heritage is a timely topic gaining awareness all over the world. In the era of global crises, where political instability, cultural alienation as well as political, religious and ideological extremism continue gaining validity, the seminar aims to tackle issues of sustainable development, social cohesion and cultural diversity within a context of cross-sectorial expertise.

The UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage has already been ratified by 178 countries that shows the willingness to act together for the safeguarding of living heritage. All the Nordic countries have ratified the Convention and cooperation across borders flourishes actively on versatile levels.

Now for the first time Nordic actors will gather together for a conference in Finland to discuss about safeguarding, joint projects and sharing good practices. As urged by the Faro Convention, the conference gives special focus on the role of communities and NGO’s.

The conference will consist of keynotes from all Nordic countries: Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland, including Greenland, Faroe Islands and Åland as well as from the Baltic countries. The presentations will highlight experiences in different fields of intangible heritage: performing arts, crafts, oral heritage, nature and social events. Several workshops will be held to give the participants room to interact with each other, learn together and to promote Nordic cooperation.

The conference is free of charge. The programme is targeted at anyone and everyone working with intangible heritage: practitioners, NGO’s, civil servants, researchers, museums professionals, etc.  The seminar language is English.

The seminar is organized by the Finnish Heritage Agency in co-operation with the Ministry of Education and Culture, Hanaholmen Cultural Centre, Arts Promotion Centre Finland, the Finnish National Commission for UNESCO, the Royal Norwegian Embassy the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland and NDPC.

After the two-day conference the Arts Promotion Centre Finland facilitates a World Saving Clinic with the conference participants. Believing in the power of co-creation, the World Saving Clinic aims to empower experts in a new, bold future-oriented role.

Registration for the seminar is now open!

PROGRAMME

Thursday 31st October

Chair of the day: Pirjo Hamari, Finnish Heritage Agency

09.30  Registration and coffee

10.00 Welcome Speeches

Maria Romantschuk, Hanaholmen Cultural Centre

Riitta Kaivosoja, Ministry of Education and Culture

Juhani Kostet, Finnish Heritage Agency

10.20 Keynote Role of Communities and NGOs in the Safeguarding of ICH
Susanne Schnuttgen, UNESCO Living Heritage Section

10:50 Nordic perspectives on the UNESCO 2003 Convention

  • Leena Marsio, Finnish Heritage Agency
  • Annika Sjöberg, Institute for Language and Folklore, Sweden
  • Hildegunn Bjørgen, Kultturådet – Arts Council Norway
  • Maria Lanng, Danish Folklore Archives
  • Staffan Beijar, Ålands museum
  • Armgarð Weihe, Cultural Ministry of the Faroe Islands
  • Kirstine Eiby Møller, Greenland’s National Museum and Archive
  • Rúnar Leifsson, Ministry of Culture, Iceland

12:15 Discussion and questions

Short performance

12:30 Lunch break

13:30 Workshops

  • ICH and sustainable development (Aura Seikkula, Arts Promotion Centre Finland)
  • ICH in education (Ira Vihreälehto and Kati Nurmi, Foundation for Cultural Heritage Education (FI)
  • ICH and museums (Kirstine Eiby Møller, Greenland’s National Museum and Archive; Reetta Karhunkorva, Finnish Forest Museum Lusto)
  • Nordic – Baltic cooperation (Matti Hakamäki, Finnish Folk Music Institute; Dag Feldborg, Norwegian Crafts Institute; Mare Mätas, Kihnu Cultural Space, EE)

15:00 Coffee Break

15.30 Conclusions and discussion,
Katriina Siivonen, Finland Futures Research Centre

16.15 End of Day one

17:00 Dinner at the Hanaholmen restaurant Johannes

Music performance

20-22 Sauna with the possibility to swim in the Baltic Sea,
ABC of Sauna by Laura Seesmeri, PhD in Sauna traditions

Friday 1st November

Chair of the day: Antti Huntus, Arts Promotion Centre Finland

09.00 Morning coffee in the upper lobby

10.00 Presentations

Safeguarding Practises, Eivind Falk, Norwegian Crafts Institute

Boost from UNESCO, Meg Nömgård, The Museum of Legends (SE)

Developing a regional ICH strategy, Johanna Björkholm, KulturÖsterbotten (FI)

11.00 Panel discussion: Safeguarding Practices and the Involvement of Communities

  • Antti Huntus, Arts Promotion Centre (FI)
  • Markku Vaaraniemi, Pro Siika NGO (FI)
  • Marit Stranden, ICH instructor (NO)
  • Mare Mätas, Kihnu Cultural Space (EE)
  • Anita Vaivade, Latvian Culture Academy (LV)
  • Siri Wernberg, Sámi Parliament (NO)

12:00 Discussion

12:30 Lunch Break

13:30 Workshops

  • UNESCO nominations (Eivind Falk, Norwegian Crafts Institute)
  • Living heritage, cultural diversity and indigenous peoples (Hildegunn Bjørgen, Arts Council Norway; Marit Myrvoll, Várdobáiki Sámi Museum (NO)
  • Good Safeguarding Practices in different domains
    • Performing arts (Marit Stranden, ICH Instructor, Norway; Jaana Kari, Finnish Youth Association / Folklandia)
    • Safeguarding crafts (Solveig Grinder, Norwegian Folk Art and Craft Association; Kikka Jelisejeff, The Finnish Crafts Organization TAITO)
    • Oral traditions (Meg Nömgård, The Museum of Legends (SE); Markus Luukkonen, NGO Samova Storytelling (FI)
    • Nature and living heritage (Riitta Vanhatalo, Finnish Local Heritage Federation; Harri Nyman, Tuusula Museum (FI)

14:30 Coffee

Workshop continues

15:30 Discussion and Conclusions

16:00 End of the Seminar

 

Saturday 2nd November

World Saving Clinic 10 am to 4 pm

Believing in the power of co-creation, the World Saving Clinic aims to empower experts in a new, bold future-oriented role. Faro Agreement contextualizes the Clinic’s working process as it considers living heritage as a solution to major prevailing European political challenges. By using artistic methods as tradition-innovation creating tools, clinics are moderated as participatory innovation labs where biggest dreams come true and futures are saved. By stimulating creativity as well as experimenting solutions through a facilitated process, the World Saving Clinic will employ a variety of tools to engage participants in envisioning possibilities for global change. Methodologically, it is important is to note, that all preconceived ideas of one’s ability to save the world should be set aside. The clinic is open for all seminar participants.

WORKSHOPS

Thursday 31.10.2019 at 13.30-15.00

  • ICH and sustainable development (Aura Seikkula, Arts promotion Centre Finland)
    Presentations by Katriina Siivonen, Futures research centre; Marita Muukkonen, Artists At Risk
    The workshop considers social sustainability as an interdependent part of the four-pillar model of sustainable development, where in addition to the social, ecological, economic and cultural elements define a contested entity. Social sustainability comprises the fundamental principles of human rights, equality, and sustainability. The workshop considers how intangible cultural heritage plays an ever more central role in the era of the Anthropocene. The workshop proposes a dialogue based on a few presentations from the artistic practices.
  • ICH in education (Ira Vihreälehto and Kati Nurmi, Association for Cultural Heritage Education (FI)
    The workshop provides inspirational examples of how to activate and engage education professionals and young people to work with intangible cultural heritage. What happened when young people from Finland, Spain and Serbia shared their living cultural heritage with each other? What kind of cultural heritage inspired young people to create heritage trails throughout Finland accessible by online smart guides? In the workshop, participants will consider together how schools and pupils can benefit from the expertise of cultural heritage professionals, and what professionals can learn from children and young people.
  • ICH and museums (Kirstine Eiby Møller, Greenland’s National Museum and archive; Reetta Karhunkorva, Finnish Forest Museum Lusto)
    How can living heritage become an integral part of future museum practice and policies? How can the participation of the practitioners receive a more focal place in museums? What skills and competences should museum professionals need to develop if they wish to support them? Case studies and discussions among museum professional, practitioners and enthusiasts.
  • Nordic – Baltic cooperation (Matti Hakamäki, Finnish Folk music institute; Dag Feldborg, Norwegian Crafts Institute; Mare Mätas, Kihnu Cultural Space, EE)
    Network for sharing Nordic and Baltic good practices of safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage (Nordic and Baltic ICH Network) was established in July 2019 in Finland among Nordic and Baltic NGOs. The aim of the network is to share good practices on community involvement in a wider scope. One important platform is the Nordic Safeguarding Practices website. Come and hear inspiring experiences and plan for future cooperation and projects!

Friday 1.11.2019 at 13.30-15.30

  • Living heritage and migration – forced relocation and cultural challenges (Hildegunn Bjørgen, Arts Council Norway; Marit Myrvoll, Várdobáiki Sámi Museum(NO)
    Migration leads to both challenges and changes in cultural practices and puts traditional knowledge at risk of disappearing. Without knowledge of our own culture and history, our sense of belonging and identity is weakened. Today, more than 65 million people across the world are fleeing their homes. Forced relocation touches upon national minorities, indigenous people and refugees. What is the role of living heritage in this process?
  • UNESCO nominations (Eivind Falk, Norwegian Crafts Institute)
    Presentations by Tore Friis-Olsen (Nordic Clinker boat traditions), Matti Hakamäki (Kaustinen Fiddle playing)
    Nominations to international UNESCO lists of ICH attract growing interest. What is the role and impact of Unesco’s lists in safeguarding cultural heritage? Why and how to apply? How does dialogue between NGOs and the state works in this case? What effect have nominations brought to practitioners in different Baltic and Nordic countries?
  • Good Safeguarding Practices in different domains
    Four different workshops will discuss and present case studies from different domains of intangible heritage. Come and share your views, good practices and discuss common challenges with your colleagues from different countries!

    • Performing arts (Marit Stranden, ICH Instructor, Norway; Jaana Kari, Finnish Youth Association / Folklandia) Presentations also by Tota Arnadottir, The Faroese chain dance; Mara Rozentale, Suiti musical heritage, Latvia
    • Safeguarding crafts (Solveig Grinder, Norwegian Folk Art and Craft Association; Kikka Jelisejeff The Finnish Crafts Organization TAITO)
    • Oral traditions (Meg Nömgård, The Museum of Legends (SE); Markus Luukkonen, NGO Samova Storytelling (FI)
    • Nature and living heritage (Riitta Vanhatalo, Finnish Local Heritage Federation; Harri Nyman, Tuusula Museum) Presentation also by Helgi Põllo, Museums of Hiiumaa (EE)

More information:
Leena Marsio, Finnish Heritage Agency, leena.marsio(at)museovirasto.fi, +358 29533  6017, website
Jaana Tamminen, Hanaholmen – the Swedish-Finnish Cultural Centre, jaana.tamminen(at)hanaholmen.fi, +358 40 54 54 972