Finland: Kansalaisfoorumi

Exploring Intangible Cultural Heritage through Literary Arts—A Transformative Pilot Project

In our pilot project, we explored intangible cultural heritage using the tools of literary arts, led by literary art educator Timo Harju. The process drew inspiration from the communal spirit and traditions of Kaustinen fiddle playing, showcased by heritage expert Olli Seikkula. The pilot process consisted of hands-on workshops, virtual clinics for personalized guidance, and a final celebration, all designed to deepen participants’ engagement with and understanding of intangible cultural heritage.

The pilot process activities ranged from creating tradition-themed mind maps to writing exercises that employed all five senses, enabling participants to vividly share and reflect on their cultural experiences. In the Finnish art education field, the term “literary art” differs from creative writing and bibliotherapy, often aiming for both skill improvement and emotional well-being, facilitated through the exploration of language as a tool and shaper of realities.

Band weaving demonstration during the heritage potluck.

The pilot process included several types of writing exercises and other methods:

  1. Self-Introduction through Trees: Participants describe themselves as a type of tree and its growing location, using this as a metaphor for their roots and connections to cultural heritage.
  2. Mind Mapping: In pairs, participants create mind maps about intangible cultural heritage, deepened by thought-provoking questions from The Wheelchart of Sustainability and ICH to explore traditions more fully.
  3. Space for Ongoing Discussions: Emphasizes the critical role of conversation in sharing, understanding, and reflecting on intangible cultural heritage.
  4. Sensory Writing about Traditions: Writing about a moment within a tradition using all five senses to create a vivid, immersive memory.
  5. Music-Inspired Writing: Listening to traditional Kaustinen violin music and writing about the imagery and places it evokes.
  6. Virtual Clinics: Zoom meetings where participants propose and receive feedback on creative projects related to traditions they wish to explore.
  7. Heritage Potluck: A sharing session where participants bring items related to cultural heritage and discuss them, inspired by facilitator-led questions.
  8. Personifying Shame: Writing creatively about shame as if it were an animal, exploring its characteristics and behaviors.
  9. Object Monologues: Giving voice to a cultural object, allowing it to express its views on the traditions and people associated with it.
Mind map of ICH examples and the Wheel Chart of Sustainability and ICH.

These exercises were designed to foster a deep, personal engagement with cultural heritage, encouraging participants to reflect, share, and learn from each other’s experiences and perspectives.

All in all, the pilot was a rich learning experience for everyone involved. We discovered that the literary arts are a powerful tool for safeguarding cultural heritage, promoting deep, transformative learning about personal and collective identities.

A contribution to the heritage potluck: a photo of an ancestor during the Winter War and a tool for taking care of the skis.
Getting immersed in Kaustinen fiddle music.
Joining the Kaustinen fiddle tradition through music and dance.
Talking about the many examples of intangible cultural heritage.
A writing exercise.

Timo Harju

Art educator

Timo Harju is a poet, a community artist and an art educator, currently based in Oulu. Timo has facilitated creative writing workshops for children and adults in contexts varying from university to art festivals, health care institutions & elementary schools since 2006.

Timo majored in cultural history in the university of Turku and has a deep interest in intangible cultural heritage. As a poet he is interested in how people’s way of speaking (dialects, fraces, proverbs etc.) can reflect their personality and indeed what makes life meaningful for them. He has been involved in many community art projects based on poems cut-up from conversations. With his colleagues he has coined a method called korvaruno (poems born from listening) for turning normal speech into poetry. Intangible cultural heritage and art are both all about the meaningfulness of life.

Some of Timo’s poetry can be found from his publisher’s ntamo’s site. Some poems are translated into English here.

Timo is also an artistic director of one-to-one art festival Kehä where artworks from different fields create one-to-one encounters between the artists and the public.

Timo Harju
Website
www.kulttuuriosuuskuntailme.fi
Instagram
@kehafestivaali

Olli Seikkula

Heritage expert

Olli Seikkula, a Finnish traditional musician, hails from the culturally rich region of Kaustinen. Based in Oulu, Olli is a talented guitarist, composer, arranger, and fiddler deeply rooted in the Kaustinen heritage. Olli has collaborated with various dance theaters and folk dance groups, making him a prominent figure in preserving and celebrating Kaustinen's musical legacy. Apart from his many performances, he teaches guitar at several institutions, ensuring that the rich musical traditions of this region continue to thrive.

Olli Seikkula
Co-funded by the European Union

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.