We warmly invite applications to our Study Circle “Praxis of Social Imaginaries” Winter Symposium in Sigtuna Sweden. This community operates within the Nordic Summer University and sets out to foster a platform for trans- and inter-disciplinary research. By bringing people from various disciplines and fields of artistic work together into shared laboratories of praxis, we aim to create a transformational learning environment. This winter, our praxis will centre on Olaus Magnus’s travels to the North, particularly his encounter with Sami peoples and Finns.
This study circle has visited texts dealing with the Mongol empire, Asia, Africa and Central America. We now turn our gaze towards the Indigenous homelands of the North. The text of this Winter Symposium was selected as it was written by a theologically schooled clergyman who later served as archdeacon and archbishop of Uppsala, Sweden: Olaus Magnus (1490-1553). He travelled in the Nordic region, and once he was exiled to Rome due to the Reformation by the Swedish King Gustav Wasa, he decided to write a book about his “home”. The Historia de Gentibus Septentrionalibus (1555) is a compilation of 22 books dealing with everything from brewing beer and making cheese and descriptions of flora and fauna to reports of local culture. The text is still today a valuable repertory of much curious information about Scandinavian customs and folklore. It was translated into Dutch (1562), Italian (1565), German (1567), and English (1658). Abridgments appeared also at Antwerp (1558 and 1562), Paris (1561), Basel (1567), Amsterdam (1586), Frankfurt (1618) and Leiden (1652). The compendium’s popularity was increased due to its numerous woodcuts of people and their customs as well as the making of a map with vivid illustrations, which spread across all of Europe.
For this particular Symposium, we will be focusing on the sections on the Sami Indigenous people, their customs and cultural practices. Together with the artistic project Spirit Land created by Emma Göransson and Frank Berger and a dialogue led by Sami theologian Åsa Virdi Kroik, special sessions will give us material for discussing Sami cosmologies and the differences in social imaginaries between the past and the present. In addition, our focus in the reading sessions will be on sections dealing with music, games, play and ritual customs. Thus our invitation to participation goes out to anyone doing research or artistic practice within these themes and topics, but also practitioners in transdisciplinary research more generally.
In this symposium, we will be reading his Historia de gentibus septentrionalibus – A Description of the Northern Peoples, which Olaus Magnus wrote in 1555. Also, the Carta Marina created in 1538, will be featured in our sessions. The days will be organised in themes depending on the contributions and workshops suggested by the participants.
To learn more about our transdisciplinary approach and approach to Indigenous-centered research ethics, please see the section “About Our Study Circle” below.
How can you participate?
Send us a short bio with your name, information about yourself, your home institution/organisation, your artform or area of research and a short motivation as to why you want to participate. If you would like to facilitate a session or present artwork during the study circle, please include further information in your email about your plans. The options for participation are as follows:
Lead reading sessions in a workshop format: Give us a small idea about how you would want to lead a reading session of either 30 minutes or max 1,5h.
Lead an intervention or artistic presentation for our community that is connected to the topic of this symposium or transdisciplinary learning: Give us a short description of your proposed performance talk or workshop related to the themes of Olaus Magnus writings and/or our working methods.
Student Participant: You can also participate in this transdisciplinary reading, listening and storytelling work by being an active member of the community. Please indicate if you intend to work towards credits or if you are part of the students and researchers from Åbo Akademi who are taking part in the course Social Imaginaries and Transdisciplinary Learning.
When sending in your bio, please indicate which kind of participation you wish to contribute with and what your practical needs with this setup are.
Scholarships and Grants
Please also let us know if you will have institutional support for participation, accommodation and travel costs or if you would want to be granted a scholarship. The earlier you send in your request, the better the chances will be for us to work with you to secure scholarships! People with institutional placement in the Nordic/Baltic region are given priority in scholarships as we have funders supporting Nordic collaborations.
For the students, researchers and artists coming from Åbo Akademi University, there is a special grant that will cover travel, accommodation and food. You will need to pay the membership fee to NSU and a small participation fee. (Please indicate at an early stage if you need support for these)
Scholarship: exclusively for Nordic/Baltic students
Grant: inclusive for all other students and people in need, also non-Nordic participants.
If you would like to apply for a scholarship and/or grant, the relevant documents need to be sent to coordinators at the email praxis.social.imaginaries@gmail.com with the following:
- Full name, e-mail and citizenship/country of residence
- Current academic status and affiliation (if applicable)
Include a preliminary budget for your travel costs to and from Sweden with public transportation. (We do NOT support flying when other means of transportation are available) Remember that all travel grants work with a system of reimbursements AFTER participation in the symposia is complete. You will need to send in a travel form and valid receipts (including VAT) for the factual costs you had.
Scholarship and grant applications are due November 15!
- Ilmoituksen tyyppi:
- Muut ilmoitukset
- Vanhenee:
- Yhteyshenkilö nimi:
- Laura Hellsten
- Yhteyshenkilö sähköposti:
- Verkkosivut:
- Avaa verkkosivut