Les Rencontres meeting at time of SAMI 26 to 29 May 2014

Note: every European Capital of Culture will host during the year European networks and organizations. All are a part of the European caravan which continues to move on from city to city. They allow another glimpse as to what is happening and being shown in that respective city. Les Rencontres is well known throughout Europe due to its special linkage with local and regional authorities, and focuses on a learning process with regards to what cultural policy can be developed and implemented at that level of political authority.

Announcement by Les Rencontres:

The Association of European cities and regions for culture 'Les Rencontres' shall hold its next meeting 26 to 29 May in Umeå.

It is stated that the city is the northernmost European Capital of Culture since the creation of the title in 1985!

The programme indicates that rencontres of Umeå will focus on cultures and creativity in Northern Sweden, on the 66th parallel. Located on the Arctic circle, this region is characterized by great spaces and extreme conditions, dynamic and creative cities and the presence of the Sami, the indigenous people of Scandinavia who lives in a wide area encompassing the north of Sweden, Norway, Finland as well as the Kola peninsula in Russia."

Researchers, representatives of associations and cultural structures, politicians and artists will offer us an insight into the Sami culture, presenting its specificities but also the challenges which have to be taken up to preserve this culture and keep it alive.

Les Rencontres will also get to know the highlights of Umeå 2014, the city’s perspectives of cultural development beyond, local and regional cultural policies as well as innovative and creative projects and works.

All of this taking place in a crucial period for the future of culture in Europe.

The Sami calendar gives its rhythm to the programme of Umeå 2014, and our meeting will take place in the season of returning, Spring. We will take advantage of the profusion of cultural events in the city to visit Västerbottens Museum (ethnographic museum tracing the history of the Sami culture), the Bildmuseet (museum of contemporary art), the Institute of Design, Umedalen Sculpture Park (one of the most prestigious in Europe), the House of Music, alternative cultural venues...

2014 being the year of the Refounding of our network, a Board meeting and an extraordinary general meeting will take place on this occasion. The new bylaws of our association and Les Rencontres' Charter will be on the agenda. A separate email was sent to all of our members and will be forwarded to our participants.

Registrations are open and you can download the practical information sheet (registration fees, hotels etc.) Please note that an email address has been put into service umea@lesrencontres.eu.

Roxelane Oliyar-Komilkiw, Rafael Mandujano and Laure Borel remain at your disposal should you require any further information.

We look forward to seeing you in Umeå !

Best regards,

Roger Tropéano and the team of Les Rencontres

Contacts:

Roxelane Oliyar-Komilkiw, roxelane.oliyarkomilkiw@lesrencontres.eu, +33 1 56 54 26 35
Rafael Mandujano, rafael.mandujano@lesrencontres.eu, +33 1 56 54 26 37
Laure Borel, laure.borel@lesrencontres.eu, +33 1 56 54 26 31

Les rencontres d'Umeå are organised in collaboration with Umeå 2014, the city of Umeå and Region Västerbotten.

Discovering cultures and creativity in Northern Sweden
Preliminary programme
Monday 26 May 2014
16:00 – 18:00 Meeting of the Board of Les Rencontres – Venue: Region Västerbotten’s head office
Evening Welcome reception and cocktail dinner, offered by the City of Umeå – Venue: restaurant
of Guitars the museum
in the presence of Marie-Louise Rönnmark, mayor of Umeå
Venue: Municipal Library of the city of Umeå - auditorium
08:45 Arrival of the participants
09:00 – 10:00 Opening session – Umeå 2014, European Capital of Culture
This session will be the opportunity to discover the highlights of the year 2014 and to learn
more about Umeå’s cultural development perspectives beyond.
Jan Björinge, Chief Executive Officer - Umeå 2014
Ulla Näsman, Director of Leisure and Cultural Affairs Office – City of Sundsvall, a city
engaged in cultural cooperation with Umeå
10:00 – 11:00 Session 1 – Local and regional cultural policies : stakes and perspectives
Presentation of the priorities of cultural policies and projects led by the City of Umeå and
the Region Västerbotten.
Nina Björby, Chairman of the Culture Committee – Region Västerbotten
City of Umeå
11:00 – 11:30 Coffee break
11:30 – 12:30 Session 2a – The Sami people and its culture: a general introduction
The European motto, “United in diversity” will serve as a symbolic basis for our reflection
and will lead us to consider the specific contribution of the Sami people in regional cultural
life. The Sami are the indigenous people of Scandinavia, who live in a very wide area
encompassing the North of Sweden, Norway and Finland as well as the Kola Peninsula of
Russia. The eight seasons of the Sami calendar give its tempo to the programme ofto the programme of Umeå 2014 and more than a quarter of this year’s events are linked with the Sami culture.
Keynote speech: Anna-Lill Ledman, Co-director – Center for Sami Research (CeSam),

14:00 – 16:00 Session 2b – The Sami people and its culture: encounters and discussions
Representatives of associations and cultural structures, politicians and artists will offer us
an insight into Sami culture, presenting its variety but also the challenges which have to be
taken up in order to preserve this culture and keep it alive.
Monica L. Edmondson, artist, 100 Migratory art project
Katarina Barruk, joik singer (traditional Sami music)
Ellacarin Blind, culture advisor– Swedish Sami Association (SSR)
Stefan Mikaelsson, President – Sami Parliament General Assembly (Sametinget)
Christina Ranberg Wickberg – Tráhppie, Sami cultural center located in Umeå
16:00 – 16:30 Coffee break
16:30 – 18:00 Session 3 – Creativity and innovation in Umeå
This session will be dedicated to a presentation of some innovative projects and works
carried out in the field of arts and culture, giving a special attention to their local, regional
and European creative dimensions.
Linnéa Therese Dimitriou, artist, designer, consultant and entrepeneur - Sliperiet project,
Umeå University
Sara Lindquist, project leader and photographer - Queering Sápmi project, Umeå
Stina Berglund, project manager – Krenova project, Umeå
Evening Visit of Umedalen Sculpture Park (one of the biggest ones in Europe, displaying
sculptures by Louise Bourgeois, Tony Cragg, Antony Gormley, Anish Kappoor…)
Dinner at « Bistro Le Garage », offered by Region Västerbotten
Wednesday 28 May 2014
Venue of the morning sessions: Municipal Library of the city of Umeå - auditorium
09:00 – 10:00 Presentation of the book « What would you do differently if you knew what you now
know ? An invistigation into 12 former European Capitals of Culture », by Rolf Noras,
author of this book and director of cultural affairs at the City of Stavanger, Norway
10:00 – 11:15 Extraordinary general meeting, discussions about Les Rencontres’ Refounding
Charta
11:15 – 11:30 Coffee break
11:30 – 12:30 End of the Extraordinary general meeting
12:30 – 13:30 Lunch at the Opera’s restaurant
14:00 – 18:00 Visit of cultural facilities and institutions in Umeå:
- Bildmuseet, the contemporary art museum: welcoming speech by Katarina Pierre,
director, and guided tour of the exhibitions of Sami artists Per Enoksson, Carola Grahn,
Liselotte Wajstedt. - Institute of Design
- Västerbotten museum, the regional ethnographic museum: welcoming speech by
Ulrika Grubbström, director. Guided tour of the exhibitions « Rock Art in Sápmi » and
« Umeå – memories and future », followed by the projection of a Sami movie entitled « The
year of the reeinder herding».

Evening Traditional Sami dinner at Tráhppie cultural center

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Les Rencontres meeting at time of SAMI 26 to 29 May 2014