Yes, February was an exciting month for all sort of things - especially travel.
I've been plotting and planning a stay at Volda University College next autumn. So, with a few preparatory emails exchanged and an Erasmus Charter signed in December 2011, Cecilie Wilhelmsen from their International Office kindly invited me for their International Day on the 15 February.
Volda University College is one of 25 independent university colleges in Norway, enrolls about 3000 students, and is located in the Sunnm
ore region - about 50 km south of Alesund. It offers courses taught in English, so if you're interested in student or staff Erasmus exchanges, have a look at this page. Anything from animation to literature and visual communication - or perhaps a unit in "regional development the European Union" :)?In the four days I was there I met lots and lots of very nice people. From their lovely international co-ordinators Susan Lynn Erdmann and Iulia Beleuta, and staff and volunteers at their meeting point 'Pangaia', to principal Per Halse, members of the academic board and, of course, academic staff such as Profs Arnljot Loseth, Birge Lovlie and Michael Schulte ... and a whole lot of others that I've noted down somewhere ...
Great to meet you all - we promptly discovered a number of common research interests and I look forward to linking some of you up with colleagues at Shetland College. Hope to be returning soon!
Silke
I'd like to express a special thank you to the Volda International Office for hosting me - and for funding my travel and accommodation, and to Thomas Lewe and Arnljot Loseth for cooking some extremely tasty Bacalao!
For more information about Erasmus partnerships and exchanges, have a look at their handbook, the British Council's pages for new institutions and the resource pack for international partnerships.
Come and join the Centre for Nordic Studies for the Viking Culture Summer Courses in Orkney and Shetland in 2012! Follow this link to download the programme: http://www.issuu.com/cnsatuhi/docs/2012_leaflet?mode=window&backgroundColor=%23222222
Last week I attended a three day international conference in St John’s, Newfoundland, Canada called ‘Culture, Place and Identity: at the Heart of Regional Development’. It was organised by the North Atlantic Forum, the Canadian Rural Revitalization Foundation, the Small Islands Cultures Research Initiative and the Leslie Harris Centre of Regional Policy and Development from Memorial University, Newfoundland.
The conference explored how the arts and the strong cultural identity of remote rural communities can contribute to the development of sustainable communities and local economies. Sustaining culture through tourism, harnessing culture as a tool for community building, global trends in tourism and best practice in cultural tourism and cultural industries all featured as key themes.
These themes were thoroughly examined in 70 papers including those from 6 keynote speakers. Amongst the many highlights were the papers by Johannes Lampe, the Minister of Culture, Recreation and Tourism with the Nunatsiavut Government in Labrador, who explained how the Labrador Inuit were using their culture to promote self-esteem and generate income in their new self-governing territory, Dorothee Lubecki, the cultural representative of South Iceland, who set out the remit of the Icelandic cultural councils and their varied work in supporting cultural projects in rural Iceland, Zita Cobb, who explained how the Shorefast Foundation is changing lives on Fogo Island, Newfoundland, Dr Brendan O’Keefe, who described how rural Ireland is reinventing itself in the face of the collapse of the Celtic Tiger and Heiða Helgadottir, the organiser of the new Icelandic political party The Best Party, who described in humorous terms how a group of musicians and comedians have won control of Reykjavik Town Council and are incorporating culture and identity into public policy.
My paper was delivered in the session called The Art of Regional Development and was entitled ‘The Old Rock’s Rockin’: a Cultural Anatomy of Modern Shetland’. In it I made the case that Shetland has arguably the most vibrant, energetic artistic scene and the best organised cultural heritage and arts development agencies in the Amenity Trust and Shetland Arts, of any similar sized community in the world. There was general agreement in the hall. Many of the communities represented, including those from Iceland, were extremely envious of Shetland’s cultural assets and the ability of Shetland to brand and market them so effectively.
I also gave a live interview on CBC Newfoundland Radio’s Arts Programme. Chris O’Neill Yates the host was keen to know more about Shetland, the landscape, the way of life, and how cultural life is organised. She was also interested in how Newfoundland resonated with a visitor from Shetland and intrigued that, just as Newfoundland is called ‘The Rock’, Shetland is the ‘Old Rock’. She is currently researching material for a programme about the Titanic and would like to know more about Walter Gray, from Shetland, who received the distress call.
One of the most important aspects of conferences such as these is the networking and personal contacts that are created. There are many delegates who now want to come to Shetland, including the cultural representatives from Iceland who are very keen to attend Up Helly Aa next year. I am now discussing a possible project with them, which will involve sheep, the traditions of sheep farming and the traditional crafts associated with wool.
It was clear from the conference that Shetland has an important role to play within the culture of the North Atlantic, both as a receiver and as a promoter of new ideas. Members of other isolated and island cultures are keen to know what is going on in Shetland. Its position and identity make it a potential centre for the new discipline of Island Studies. The Centre for Nordic Studies will be joining the North Atlantic Forum and the Small Islands Cultures Research Initiative to further this aim.
Great fun was had both in Orkney and Shetland during this year's Viking Culture Summer Schools that took place in Kirkwall, Scalloway and Unst in July.
We had an international student group that had travelled from as far as Australia, Canada, Iceland, Fife, Kirkwall and Cunningsburgh! They enjoyed an extensive programme of morning lecture and afternoon fieldtrips in Viking history and culture.
Students got to experience Nordic food and games, and learned about Viking history, mythology, religion, archaeology and maritime culture. Most excitingly of all, the Shetland Summer School group actually got to participate in a real Viking procession - have a look at the photos on flickr or go to our Facebook page to see how they did.
If you want to join us next year - send us a quick email to cns@orkney.uhi.ac.uk, so we can add you to the mailing list for 2012 course dates and information.
For information on the Centre for Nordic Studies events and activities, including our postgraduate opportunities and teaching, go to www.nordic.uhi.ac.uk.
Come and join our forthcoming events! Go to
or email: cns@orkney.uhi.ac.uk for more information.
Our Viking Culture Summer Schools in Orkney and Shetland are now open for enrolment!www.nordic.uhi.ac.uk/?q=node/26
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Check out our new programme! 2011 will see us explore Viking history and culture in Orkney and Shetland. Join us! Enrolments are now open.
