The Cornish team leading the visionary European Regions of Culture Campaign (EROC/www.e-r-o-c.com) has just returned from an invaluable cultural exchange event in the Finnish region of South Ostrobothnia. For the second of three meetings being held this year as part of the international campaign (which also includes the Polish region of Kujawsko-Pomorskie), the EROC officials and a team of Cornish creative practitioners were joined by key politicians in the city of Lapua in the Western Finnish region. Throughout the visit, the team was focussed on strengthening links with their Finnish local government counterparts, and developing ways in which the three key EROC partner regions can work together.
Of all the provinces in Finland, South Ostrobothnia has one of the most distinct cultural identities. With a population of 194,000 spread over a 14,000 square kilometre area, the province’s dialect, folk art, folklore, architecture and entrepreneurial fervour mix to create a strong foundation for a flourishing culture in the 21st Century. Internationalisation is the key objective for the region and its involvement as a partner in EROC is an integral part of this strategy. With funding from the European Union’s Culture Programme, EROC is designed to get the EU to officially recognise ‘Regions of Culture’ in the same way in which urban areas such as Liverpool have been recognised by, and therefore benefited from, the EU ‘Capitals of Culture’ programme. A recent evaluation report from The Liverpool Culture Company revealed that the 2008 designation had delivered an £800 million economic boost to the city, £200 million of global media coverage and 3.5 million new visitors, all of which helped to reshape perceptions of Liverpool and mark it out as a world-class cultural destination.
Delegates from the three EROC regions met within the Lapuan-based Vanha Paukku Cultural Centre, an ex-Military State Cartridge Factory that has been skilfully renovated to provide an impressive new setting for the town’s cultural services, with an extensive range of cultural programmes. The week long event also saw attendees visiting the province’s commercial capital Seinajoki, and the Alvar Aalto Centre, designed by the globally renowned architect of the same name.
Further visits showcased elements of entrepreneurship within the region including TEAK, the largest and most versatile training and technology centre for woodwork and cabinet making in Europe. Members of the delegation met with many local creative business-owners and were impressed by their commercial success. A visit to Mantyla Estate, a 300 year old peasant house, also illustrated elements of the area’s historical backdrop.
Cornish creative practitioners Bruce Davies (visual artist), Rae Chapman (visual artist) and Paul Farmer (writer & film-maker) spent the week collaborating with their Polish and Finnish counterparts on a series of artworks and performances. Rae drew on the recent world-wide study of national well-being, illustrating Finnish well-being and happiness in her installation the Higher Academy of Happiness. Paul installed a series of text-based works around the Vanha Paukku Cultural Centre, referring to the tragic accidental explosion that occurred at the factory in 1976 and its extensive impact on the local population while Bruce created a new film work with a split-installation raising questions about how culture is represented in modern society.
The Cornish EROC youth delegation, supported and facilitated by the Real Ideas Organisation (RIO), provided a major bolt of energy, creativity and enthusiasm. The Cornish youngsters, made up of a team of design and broadcast students at both University College Falmouth and Cornwall College, provided a range of on-site design solutions for the Cornish and international artists, as well as creating delegate materials, instigating a postcard-inspired research project amongst their Finnish counterparts and making a fly-on-the-wall documentary about the trip.
EROC Project Director Miranda Bird said, “We are reaching a critical time period within the EROC process and vital strategic components are falling into place. The South Ostrobothnia international exchange has built upon the firm foundations for joint working and understanding that were created at the Kujawsko-Pomorskie conference in April.”
Miranda continues, “The presence of Mr Jerzy Zajakala, member of the Committee of Regions in the European Union, was particularly significant, and he provided us with an extremely encouraging update and backing for the EROC campaign from his organisation. The EROC work is now focussed on the Cornish conference in November. This most recent conference also provided the backdrop for some vital meetings where the partners have worked together to agree the next strategic steps post-November. The collective momentum behind the determination for the designation is now stronger, and more focused, than ever.”
Alec Robertson, Leader of the new Cornwall Council said, “As an area, Cornwall has a whole host of reasons to showcase itself as a global centre for culture, and it is an understatement to say that the social and economic benefits that will result when the Region of Culture designation is achieved will be significant. This visit to the South Ostrobothnian area of Finland demonstrated a fascinating array of similarities between the very real challenges that the three partner regions face within their social context and cultural economies.”
Carolyn Rule, cabinet member for the Economy and Regeneration, said: “We are firmly focused on supporting the visionary work of the EROC project team and in helping to play our part in creating an efficient and imaginative programme for our strategic partners, and their political leaders, when they visit us here in Cornwall, this coming November.”
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