Description
The project will help to initiate Sami and Latvian musicians,artisans and craftsmen to meet,to exchange,to enrich each other, to deepen their knowledge and receive impulses for new creative works,to allow people with an in-depth knowledge about traditional culture to participate in creative workshops together with local as well as Sami musicians and artisans, thus widening their knowledge about different elements of traditional culture and to inform and involve the wider audience.International cooperation and exchange are important ways of further developing the European cultural space.The aim of the project is to promote the exchange of knowledge,experience and creative impulses between two traditional cultures–Sami and Latvian through two ethno-eco festivals organized in Latvia and Norway, during which concerts,public performances and creative workshops,guest artists,artisans and musicians from the respective partner country will participate.Activities are to organise within two years two ethno-eco festivals SVIESTS in Latvia, two Sami culture festivals ISOGAISA Norway. During which concerts,public performances and creative workshops guest artists,artisans and musicians from the respective partner country will participate.Website www.joikasundainas. lt will be formed, where photographies,videos as well as articles in Latvian,Norwegian and English will be published.The target audience in Latvia are the inhabitants of the Vidzeme region and its guests,people of different ages and backgrounds,to whom we want to show what there already is in this region–introduce them to the local artisans,artists,musicians,folklorists and other active people.The target audience in Norway are people of all ages interested in traditions,Sami culture and craftsmanship.Project partner Foreningen Isogaisa is an NGO with the main aim to promote and support Sami culture nowadays. The partner is involved in the organisation of both festivals and workshops.
Summary of project results
Project helped to initiate Sami and Latvian musicians,artisans and craftsmen to meet,to exchange,to enrich each other, to deepen their knowledge and receive impulses for new creative works,to allow people with an in-depth knowledge about traditional culture to participate in creative workshops together with local as well as Sami musicians and artisans, thus widening their knowledge about different elements of traditional culture and to inform and involve the wider audience. Within the project 4 ethno-eco festivals SVIESTS 2014 and 2015 (in Latvia) and ISOGAISA 2014 and 2015 were organized with 8 workshops which were attended by 85 participants in Latvia and Norway.13 musicians from Norway participated in festivals in Latvia and 15 musicians from Latvia participated in festivals in Norway and that helps to exchange cultural knowledge, to make new partnerships for further cooperation, to better understand cultural differences and to find common interests. Project helped to share information about Sami and Latvian culture and traditions trough the festivals which were attended by approximately 7000 large audience (in Latvia about 6000 and in Norway about 1000) and through publicity - home page
www.joikasundainas.lv, festival SVIESTS and ISOGAISA Facebook pages, Festival's and NGO's Twitter accounts achieved large audience - about 6000.Large number of interviews, articles in newspapers and internet news portals were published and DVD about project were made. This project mine goal is that all project activities both project partners implemented in close calibration and that strengthening partnership for further events which are planned after the project implementation - in 2017. In project all planned outcomes and outputs have been achieved and some achieved more than planned in the project, for example participants in master classes were planned 80 - achieved 85, festival's SVIESTS audience in Latvia were planned 4000 - achieved 4000
Summary of bilateral results
The mine achievements of the project are an ongoing friendship and cooperation between two festivals - the Ethno-Eco Festival SVIESTS in Latvia and the Sami Shaman Festival ISOGAISA in Norway.During a two year period these festivals successfully exchanged Sami and Latvian musicians and craftsmen, organizing workshops and concerts, promoting understanding and friendly relationships between people interested in culture, music and traditional way of life.For both festivals the activities of the respective partner have become an integral part of the festival activities and both have agreed that they will try to find ways to continue this cooperation.Among the audience of both festivals the knowledge and awareness of the respective - Latvian and Sami culture has increased on a great degree,which is proven by talking to members of the audience during the festivals as well as through the response to the many videos and photographs documenting the events and being published on social media such as Facebook and Twitter.Another important aspect and result of the project is the documentation of the concerts and workshops on video and photography, that are published on the project website as well as on YouTube, which increases the internet presence of both festivals and provides and insight in Latvian and English on different Sami and Latvian traditional crafts and music, that can easily be searched and found on the web now.The long-term impact of the project is only partly measurable - by counting publications or numbers of participants.But the real life impact and achievements are the ongoing contacts, artistic cooperation and established friendships across borders, cultures and nations.Many examples about these cooperation are known, but many are unknown and will be heard later.