A first round of fieldwork and research was conducted in June 2021. An opportunity to identify the different cultural actors in the Rovaniemi area with whom to potentially collaborate on trans-disciplinary artistic projects.

 

The motivation behind this initiative is two-fold; on the one hand these projects would develop the network of relationships between different municipalities by establishing different ways in which an artist-in-residence programme could work in the region. This programme would adapt to the needs of the parties and the projects themselves. On the other hand it would produce meaningful artworks which are relevant to both local audiences and artists but also function at an international level fostering cross-border collaborations.

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A series of conversations helped map the different agents which have shown interest in producing cultural projects as a way of rural development:

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Juha Seppälä, representative of the village co-op from Narkaus village and the Serantaulo building placed a central focus together with village school were the local weaving association meet and work in the loom room.

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The field work was complemented by a series of events that happened during this period which helped us meet practitioners from different fields and understand the local context better. These events included Cultural Paths' own symposium, the ISEAS symposium hosted by Korundi museum, and the Sirkka Biennale.

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Autumn 2021 further work will take place. Stay tuned!