Finland

Kainuun Opisto Oy – Cultural Trips in the Footsteps of  the Kalevala

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Kainuun Opisto is a community college and course centre open to all.  The institution is located in Paltamo, on the shores of Lake Oulujärvi. They offer conference and training services, facilities for parties as well as accommodation and catering services. The story of the institution goes back more than 100 years.

Our Literary Tourism Plans:

Tours of 1-4 days to destinations around Kainuu region that Elias Lönnrot visited when he was the district doctor and was collecting the poems for the Finnish national epic The Kalevala. Combining literature with culture, landscapes and nature bringing the tourists a broader understanding of the literature. In addition to culture (music, theatre) and literature, the tour products will involve different experiences  such as wellness, exercise, traditional medicine (Kalevala style), nature experiences etc. Transport, accommodation and meals will also be arranged.

The products are targeted both for domestic and international audience, since the work of Elias Lönnrot has given inspiration to international authors, artists and other national epics.

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Suomussalmi Municipality – Hossa Storytelling Bootcamp

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Suomussalmi municipality is located in the northern part of Kainuu region, bordering Russia. Known for its pristine nature, strong cultural sector and history. Raate village in Suomussalmi was the setting of decisive battles during the Winter War in 1940.

Hossa national park in the farthest corner of the municipality invites you to experience both its gentle and mystical side. The beauty of the easily negotiable paths amid the pine trees leading from one ridge to the next and the crystal-clear waters are a joy to behold. The landscape’s mysticism derives from the ancient paintings of Värikallio and the monumental canyon lake Julma-Ölkky.

Supporting the distinctive culture of the region and developing the area of Hossa national park are priorities for Suomussalmi municipality.

Our Literary Tourism Plans:

Development and piloting a storytelling boot camp in the area of Hossa national park, bringing 10-12 writers from literature, theatre and movie industries in for 5 days in 2021. If found feasible, this will be continued as an annual event.

The boot camp will combine a traditional residency model with new ways of working, possibly creating novel, cross-sectoral development ideas and networks and interesting story lines. It will be about creating new contents at the international, creative writing camp for professional writers, but also about interactive public events, that will inspire and help new writers.

The public events include a storytelling/ scriptwriting training event, where the participants could discuss their own scripts with professionals and a bonfire event where a famous writer will tell about his/ her writing process.  The open events will be broadcasted online.

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Eino Leino House Foundation – Kullervo Play

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Poet Eino Leino was born in 1878 in Paltaniemi, where you will find the Eino Leino traditional house, built according to Leino’s childhood home. Today the traditional house is maintained by Eino Leino House Foundation dedicated to showcasing the poet’s life and extensive work.  The foundation promotes culture related to the house and its surroundings. One of the important tasks of the foundation is to support research related to both Elias Lönnrot and Eino Leino and the publication of related literature in various forms.

The Eino Leino House is rented out for various occasions especially summer weddings. During the summer holidays, the house also hosts a café, a summer theatre and other events. In summer 2019 the summer performances by Giant Opera was performed in the open air at the Eino Leino House, involving a cast of up to 80 Dutch and Finnish singers, actors, and dancers.

Our Literary Tourism Plans:

With the support from Spot-lit project, Eino Leino house foundation plans to write, direct and pilot one of the cornerstones of Finnish literature, the story of Kullervo, as a play. The play will focus on the Kalevala, the life and work of Elias Lönnrot and the Kainuu region and will include song and dance depicting the Kalevala ‘story telling’ tradition.

 

 

Culture Cooperative G-voima & Vaara Collective: Developing a Dramatic Eino Leino Product Family.

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Cultural cooperative G-voima was founded in 2006. Vaara-collective is a performing arts collective founded in 2014, producing high quality creative performing and applied art locally and nationally.

Our home base is at Generaattori (in English, “the Generator”) house of performing arts situated in the centre of Kajaani. Generaattori is managed by G-Voima and the space is shared by contemporary dance production group Routa Company, Kajaani Amateur Theatre and Vaara-Collective. Our operations are quite diverse, annually producing 5-10 theatre and dance premieres, guest performances, residencies, training, concerts, discussion events and other events.

Our Literary Tourism Plans:

In summer 2019, we launched our first Literary Tourism product; the Eino Leino cruise on The SS Kouta, a Finnish steamship built in 1920, with actor Sami Sainio in charachter as the late poet Eino Leino. The cruise  will be offered for the full summer 2020 season. (Due to the ship capacity, numbers are limited.)

We plan to develop a full product family related to the famous Finnish poet Eino Leino, suitable for different environments and audiences. We are partnering with Luonnollisesti Oulujärvi LP, a small family business offering nature-related recreation and excursion packages in the fascinating surroundings of Lake Oulujärvi . Finland’s fourth largest lake, it offers, among other things, Finland’s largest inland backs, shallow sandy beaches and clean water.

We welcome other potential partners to join with us in developing the Eino Leino product family.

Contact us:

  • Our premises are located at address Kauppakatu 36, 87100 Kajaani
  • Visit vaarakollektiivi.fi and follow us on www.facebook.com/vaarakollektiivi
  • The key contacts related to Spot-lit Literary Tourism product development at the organisation are Chair of the board/ Event producer Veikko Leinonen and actor Sami Sainio.

 

Veikko Huovinen Society

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Sotkamo – One of The Richest Regions in Finland Measured in Words

Veikko Huovinen (1927 –2009) was a novelist who lived in Sotkamo in the Kainuu region. He was trained as a forester and practised this profession from 1953 to 1956, he then began a career as a writer. His writing is known for its realism, pacifism, sharp intellect, and especially a peculiar humour, Huovinen observed and analysed the world closely, often through satire.

Huovinen wrote more than thirty books and many of his works are based in the Kainuu region, in his own soul landscapes. Veikko Huovinen society was founded in 2007 as a birthday gift to the novelist as he turned 80 years old to honour, cherish his lifes work and make it known.

Our Literary Tourism Plans:

The sites related to Huovinen in Sotkamo include his grave found in Sotkamo, as well as a statue “Havukka-ahon ajattelija’ by artist Nina Terno and a memorial forest dedicated for him. The Huovinen society also arranges many kinds of annual activities. A replica of his study is open to the public in summertime where items from his original office can be viewed.

Veikko Huovinen society plans to further develop the study of Veikko Huovinen and offer year-round activities. New guided tours based on storytelling will be launched with partners. Connected to this process is also raising awareness of the forgotten writers Heikki Meriläinen and Viena Korhonen of Sotkamo.

Some Thoughts and Quotes of Veikko Huovinen

“I became a writer because when walking in the woods at a young age, I saw so many beautiful and exciting things. My first stories, that gained me experience on writing, were batch stories. As a young boy, I was strongly influenced by nature on my hunting trips. ”

“Well I guess I became a writer when I was a young hunter and I got it in me to get up very early in the mornings. Many times, I sat on the doorstep of the barn, wondering about the rising sun… It was a peculiar feeling to walk into sleepy villages where the people did not know what was going on in the forest beside them. It felt like I alone owned something that should be shared with others.”

“I seek to describe the people’s core essence. Not to show them as puppets, nor as saints, but digging in somewhere in the area where good and evil collide. Life is full of satire. It is impossible to fit it into the framework of a small book as much as one would like. ”

“Having written as much as I have, I know that books don’t just change the world, but if they made you think, now that would be good.”

“Basically, I am an optimist and I do not have it in me to understand why there are so many gloomy books these days. Rather should we grow smiles on people’s faces.”

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Idän Taiga Association – Developing Kalevala for the International Tourist

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The Idän Taiga association has about 60 member companies mainly located in Kuhmo and Suomussalmi areas in Eastern Kainuu, marketed under the Wild Taiga brand name. The network of member companies offer opportunities to hike in magnificent, unspoiled nature, watch and photograph wildlife, and also enjoy cultural activities.

Our Literary Tourism Plans:

The network of member companies participating in The Spot-lit Literary Product Innovation Programme have begun work on the development of activities for both domestic and foreign tourists. The activities will bring the Kalevala to life across a range of products and services and support the newly established status of Kuhmo city as a UNESCO City of Literature.

Contact us:

Kalevala tradition is not something from the past but a living and breathing thing
that is doing well in the Wild Taiga region in Kainuu. Wild Taiga’s strength lies in combining culture and nature in the collaboration with local entrepreneurs. Through the Spot-lit project, the Finnish national epic Kalevala will gain new wings through tourism.”

 

 

Vienan Portti Ltd – Viena – The Great Kalevala  Adventure Game

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Vienan Portti Ltd is a start-up company located in a remote Vartius village in Kainuu. The company is based on an old family estate close to the Russian border with history tied to Viena Karelian culture and the Karelianism phenomenon.  A variety of literature has been collected from the Viena Karelian villages. Ancestor of the current owners, Eljas Ahtonen (better known as “Rimmin Uljaska”), acted as the model for artist Akseli Gallen-Kallela, when painting Väinämöinen for his famous Aino triptych!. The authentic history of the farm together with several historical/mythical destinations ensure that there are an abundance of stories to be shared.

The owners’ plan to offer accommodation and programme services for tourists as well as a café-restaurant serving Viena Karelian delicacies.

 

Our Literary Tourism Plans:

The product being developed is a free mobile game “VIENA – the great Kalevala adventure” . The bilingual game, designed with the tourist in mind, will be based on old Kalevala stories intertwined with authentic local history and locations and is aimed at triggering interest in the destinations and history of Kainuu. Place based virtual experiences will be developed on a continuous basis, allowing guests experience the Kalevala in vitual reality (VR) in authentic surroundings.

Contact Us:

  • You’ll find us at address Kostamustie 5645, Lentiira
  • Entrepreneurs behind the business idea based on their family farm are Mr. Keijo Ahtonen and Ms. Pirjo Kyllönen.
  • Please visit our website vienanportti.com (to be opened in June 2020) and
    follow us on Facebook.

“Entering our house you will be overwhelmed by the tranquility, it’s as if  the old log walls quietly whisper the ancient stories to your ear. We can’t wait to open our doors to offer you a journey into the mythical world of the Kalevala!”

 

Spot-Lit Project Update COVID-19

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With the coronavirus (COVID-19) situation developing quickly, we believe it’s important to keep stakeholders informed about how Spot-Lit.eu is responding to the outbreak. Our philosophy is to approach this situation with empathy and safety; Spot-Lit top priority is the health and safety of our team, our stakeholders and project  partners.

Like many organisations we have taken precautions and we are now all working from home with all face to face meetings now replaced by electronic meetings.

At Spot-Lit.eu we are fortunate in that we’ve been able to move our team to social distancing/working from home and there should be minimal disruption to workflow. The project partners continue to work to deliver The Spot-Lit programme, meet project deliverables and engage productively with our funders, partners and stakeholders.

If you wish to contact any of the Spot-Lit partners – our contact details can be found at this link.

As one, the partners are also keen to express their belief that the continued support for our remote SMEs, especially those in the hard-hit tourism industry, now has greater importance than ever for our regions’ economies. Projects such as Spot-Lit make a vital contribution in this regard.

Kalevala Celebrations in Kuhmo Unesco City of Literature

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Kalevala week in Kuhmo began on the 23th of February and finishes on 28th of February with the Kalevala Day celebration.  The Kalevala week has many different events for all age groups. This year, the Kalevala Day is aimed at children and they will be able to see a Karelian ensemble from Voknavolok, Viena Karelia, where Elias Lönnrot, a creator of the Finnish national epic, has brought many runes from.

Kuhmo Library is a partner of Kalevala week and produces its Novel book of Kalevala for women.

Programme of Kalevala week

Organizers: Juminkeko Foundation and Kuhmo city

Sun 23.2.

  • 6 pm Kalevala national theatre, Love and Dove, Pajakka hall, Kuhmo Art Center, 10€ / 5€

Mon 24.2.

  • 10 am  Traditional round games with kids at Kuusenkuiske kindergarten
  • 6 pm A lecture by Ville Trohkimainen about peddlers in 19th – 20th century. The lecturer shows his peddler bag with its content dated 19 th century, Juminkeko

Tue 25.2.

  • 6 pm Poem soiree in Juminkeko: poems by Paavo Lesonen about Viena Karelia
  • 6 pm Kalevala club for kids

Wed 26.2.

  • 9 am Kalevala Bear – hobby crafts and traditional games at Kuusenkuiske kindergarten
  • 10 am Kalevala Bear – hobby crafts and traditional games at Kuusenkuiske kindergarten
  • 3 pm Prattle hut at Shell café, coffee service
  • 5 pm Kalevala adventure for kids in Juminkeko

Thu 27.2.

  • 9 am Kalevala Bear – hobby crafts and traditional games at Satumetsä kindergarten
  • 10 am Kalevala Bear – hobby crafts and traditional games at Satumetsä kindergarten
  • 1 pm The novel hook with Kalevala, Kuhmo library

Fri 28.2. 

  • 12 am The Day of Kalevala -celebration in Tuupala school

The programme is organized and carried out by Juminkeko Foundation with the partners the cultural department of Kuhmo, Kuhmo library, Kuhmo music school, Kuhmo association of local history and Kalevala women association.

 

 

Would the Authors of Kainuu Transform into Tourism Products?

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There is already a cruise product built around Eino Leino and more ideas evolving. But how could we utilize Ilmari Kianto, Veikko Huovinen and Lönnrot’s Kalevala?

What would dinners hosted by Eino Leino look like, or Eino Leino reciting a poem to congratulate you on your birthday?

For example these ideas have been developed by the Vaara collective, being the most advanced party in commercialization of well-known Kainuu writers for tourism products.

Last fall, the collective organized a handful of Eino Leino cruises on the Kouta ship, where actor Sami Sainio from Kajaani took on the role of Eino Leino.

Next summer, there will be 12 open Eino Leino cruises, but on request the Kouta ship will depart for this  cruise at other times too. Groups of up to 30-40 people can book and the cruise ship which normally takes up to 60 passengers.

Veikko Leinonen, producer of the Vaara collective and director of the Eino Leino cruise, argues that with the smaller audience the atmosphere remains more intimate and that all passengers can hear what Leino is speaking about and the poems being recited on board.

As famous Eino Leino, Sami Sainio performs some of the poet’s poems, he also remembers his childhood and occasionally comments on the current state of his soul landscape, sometimes quite passionately.

The cruise takes about 2.5 hours, but Eino Leino does not stay aboard the ship for all that time. For dramatic reasons he is “late” arriving  to the ship and rowing from the direction of Parkinniemi to catch the boat. He also leaves for the direction of Parkinniemi rowing into the darkening night.

– It was a very exciting, impressive experience, says Minna Komulainen, a specialist in the Spot-lit literary tourism project at Regional Council of Kainuu. She went for the Eino Leino cruise in the fall.

Leinonen cannot promise whether the performance next summer will be exactly the same as last fall. It changes depending of the situation. The presentation has also been modified a bit to be more functional. In any case, Leinonen promises the cruise to be an experience. It is a play, not that a man in a black cloak and a brimmed hat walking on board, acting as a guide to Leino’s childhood and soul landscapes. The scenes are site-specific.

Similarly, the form of possible Leino-hosted dinners is still open. According to Leinonen, the Vaara collective are looking for a local restaurant as an organising partner. On the other hand, what could be the role of Leino, for example, at birthdays or weddings?

It is known that Leino did a great deal of practical poetry during his life, which was written even in the corner of a handkerchief if needed, so a congratulatory poem to a birthday hero or wedding couple would be quite natural to Leino.

Other Kainuu writers around whom cultural tourism is planned are Isa Asp, Ilmari Kianto and Veikko Huovinen, and of course, Elias Lönnrot and the Kalevala he gathered in Kainuu.

In connection with the international Spot-lit project, the Regional Council of Kainuu organized the first workshops in Kajaani, Sotkamo, Suomussalmi and Kuhmo in November and December. They attracted more than 100 people in total. More than 60 participants attended the second phase workshop in January. The third workshop will be organised in late February in Kajaani.

Before that, Komulainen together with a colleague Helena Aaltonen from Regional Council of Kainuu, and Sirpa and Markku Nieminen from Juminkeko foundation, will visit Scotland to look for models, ideas and thoughts on how writers have been utilized there in cultural tourism.

One destination they will visit is the Barrie Museum established in the childhood home of Scottish J.M. Barrie, the creator of Peter Pan. Komulainen tells that there are many famous writers in the Britain and Ireland and whose production has been commercialized, such as Irish playwright and poet Oscar Wilde. Or the famous platform 9¾ that has been built in London at Kings Cross Station based on J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter, to which there always is a queue. For a fee, people get their hands on a magic wand and a grasp of a scarf and then they jump … towards the brick wall.

Such a wild product might not be set in Kainuu, but many things could well be built around the Kalevala, for example. In addition, a literary festival rotating around the region has been discussed. Up to €10 000 can be awarded for promising product development ideas and at least five projects are expected to be supported.

WHAT is SPOT-LIT 

Spot-lit project

  • An international project aimed at developing literary tourism in Kainuu and the British Isles.
  • The project vision is to increase entrepreneurship and access of SMEs to wider markets.
  • The project highlights the area’s interesting literary heritage through product development and marketing.
  • From Finland, Regional Council of Kainuu, Kajaani University of Applied Sciences and Lapland University of Applied Sciences are involved.
  • From  Ireland, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
  • The project implements eg. literary tourism development workshops.
  • The project launches a Literature Tourism Network.
  • The project produces a Kainuu mobile app where entrepreneurs can present their services.
  • The project produces a literature tourism development guide.

KAINUUN SANOMAT, regional newspaper CULTURE
Released: 4th February 2020 at 21:00

Taru Paavoseppä

Article in Finnish Language HERE

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