8,30 Registration, tea/coffee, mingling

9,30 Conference opening

The conference will be opened by the Swedish minister of Culture and Democracy Alice Bah Kuhnke and the South African minister of Arts and Culture Emmanuel Nkosinathi Mthethwa.

11:30 Keynote speaker

Religions- a key cause of conflict in today’s world, or a real or potential source of cohesion?

Dr. Andrew Wingate, Anglican priest, UK

A quote, written by Andrew Wingate, from this last book- ‘The evil forces try to say to us that everything is hopeless.  Why do you waste our time on interfaith relations?   But we believe in the power of the Word of Life, and we are convinced that interfaith relations are part of God’s on going healing of this world.’  
From Antje Jackelin, Archbishop of Uppsala,  ‘Good interfaith work will strengthen our Love of God, neighbour and creation.  It will help strangers to live together as good neighbours, and seek the best for their communities.’
From Tim Stevens, former Bishop of Leicester: ‘These stories outline a response to God’s call to resist hate and fear, and become a blessing to others regardless of their faith, honouring God’s name, and seeking his Kingdom on earth.’
My talk will look at these quotations in relationship to three areas of the world, and the history of interfaith relations and conflicts over the last century.   These areas will illustrate how history influences the present, and need to be taken into account, as we struggle towards cohesion in these places.  They also illustrate how the local, the national and the international are bound up one with another.  I will look at three areas where I have had personal contact.  The three areas are:   the Indian subcontinent, where all major religions have been and are involved, and through the diaspora of South Asians;   Ireland, with all its ups and downs in the history of the troubles;   and Iraq, one of the several disaster areas in the Middles East, with deep impacts also on Europe and further afield.  
I will include a special attention to particular moments of history in these places, of which I have personal experience, and consider what lessons can be learnt from history, and where we can see any glimmers of hope into the future.  Religious and cultural elements will be considered throughout.

Dr Andrew Wingate is an Anglican priest who has ministered and taught in urban, multi religious contexts for 40 years in South India, Birmingham and Leicester.  For family reasons, he has recently moved to Lewes, near Brighton He is a specialist in theology in an inter faith context, and the realities of the multi faith world which we are now so much more conscious about.  Birmingham and Leicester are two of the most multi cultural cities in Europe, and he has had wide experience of faiths in Africa and in several parts of Asia, particularly the Asian sub-continent. He received a special award- and OBE- from Her Majesty the Queen, for his work in Britain since the London Bombing in 2005.  He has specialised in Hindu, Muslim and Sikh studies, and been a theological teacher of generations of clergy in India and in Britain.   Since 2010, he has also been a regular visitor to Sweden, helping to enable the response of the Church of Sweden to major population changes caused by immigration, and has also been several times to Norway and Denmark.  He has written several books, including Celebrating Difference, Staying Faithful: how to live in a multi faith world (DLT, now in fourth printing, 2009); The meeting of opposites?  Hindus and Christians in the West (SPCK, 2014), and a newly released book, of which he was co-editor, Why Interfaith?- Stories, reflections and challenges from recent engagements in Northern Europe).  There will be copies of these books available for sale at the conference.

12:15 Lunch

13:30 Parallel sessions:

13:30 Kultur och hälsa

The session will focus on culture as a method for improving Public Health in Kalmar county.

We will discuss general results from projects. We also hope to get an answer in what way culture and health can be used as a method on a long term basis in different organizations in Kalmar.

Hälsa- och kultur i Kalmar läns slutkonferens.

Eftermiddagen handlar om på vilket sätt kultur- och hälsa kan integreras långsiktigt i landstingets, och övriga organisationers, verksamheter.

Vidare kommer generella resultat från genomförda pilotprojekt att presenteras liksom en genomgång av hur projektet har genomförts.

Projektet "Kultur och hälsas" genomförande och resultat

Emma Gustavsson och Emma Angelin Holmén, Kalmar läns museum, Sverige

14.15 Kulturell gestaltning av Kalmar läns strategi

14.30 Framtidsperspektiv på Hälsa och Kultur

Krister Björkegren, Landstingsdirektör, Sverige

13:30 Meeting places for issues of faith and life

Welcome to this session about Meeting places for issues of faith and life.

We have explored different churches in Sweden and what they can tell us about faith and life. In a historical setting what were their questions about, and how expressions of faith and life can help us to understand who we are today and that our issues of faith and life have been dealt with before and how they solved problems then. In this project we have been working with confirmands and their leaders to explore different issues in 14 different churches.

If the war comes, what is important to save in church and in our own life?,What is the image that I want others to remember me by? The old facebook. How can we cooperate when we have experienced a loss? What about the horse in the church? What is important to hold on to? On a particular issue of the Reformation. What responsibilities do I have to other persons? What about the future? What can I do with my life? Does the Christian faith have a future?

In this session you’ll meet the confirmands leaders who’ll talk about their experiences and what we did in the different churches and you will hear what the confirmands thought about this method. Together we have written a book about the time travel method and our experiences.

Pernilla Parenmalm, Torshälls församling, Church of sweden

Teresia Clifford, Växjö stift, Church of Sweden and Linda Liljeberg, Kalmar County Museum. 

Pernilla Lundström and Anna Björk, Mora församling, Church of Sweden

Åsa Westroth, Huskvarna pastorat, Church of Sweden

Using Church Buildings is Entering a Time Machine! Time Travel Methodology and Worship Theory

Peter Bexell, Doctor of Theology

The material heritage of church buildings is understandable only if you start in the immaterial heritage of worship taking place or having taken place there. Line of thought: a faith – in need of a rite – creating a space. The other way round is secondary: the artefacts refer to the rite, and the rite is teaching a distinct faith. 

Cases:

The common Christian worship service, known as Eucharist. Two different ways of explaining the rite, both with impact on how to understand memory and time:
The idea of anamnesis (commemoration in traditional eucharistic prayer), making present a set of events from Old and New Testament.
Artefacts developed: a) the legend of the Mass of St Gregory, b) a method of meditation (used both in religious and non-religious circles), making present a certain scene.
Outcome: a general reflection on memory (Ricœur) and handing over of traditions (Gadamer) in time travelling and worship.

The idea that in eucharist everybody present is as well present at the first Last supper in the Upper room (a late medieval and Protestant idea). Artefacts developed: a) architecture of some abbey churches, b) typology of da Vincis frescoe of the Last supper, c) some Swedish wooden retables, where Jesus virtually is reaching (out from the picture) the cup towards the room, d) recent rearrangement in churches, above all of altar tables.

Outcome: the renewed including way of doing worship (roles of priest and congregation) – and some problems in it – and of doing time travelling.

Methodological questions, affecting time travelling in relation to worship – perhaps only a few could be treated:
1. Worship and time travelling are both historic and historical – this raises the Augustinian question of time as exclusively ”now”.

2. As historic they raise the question of the relation of time, memory and universality of experience (worship claiming that this universality is an aspect of eternity).

3. Worship is in itself a time travel and a travel into a utopia, out of time, and as time travelling a criticism of the present, and so raising the ethical quest for social cohesion.

4. If worship claims to be an immaterial cultural heritage – could time travelling raise a similiar claim about the (or some) scenes accomplished?

5. Making a time travel including worship (a liturgical act), how do you treat that it is a time travel within a time travel?

6. What is ”pretending” in worship and in time travelling – could we suspend an erroneous difference to actually doing/experiencing?

13:30 Migration, Cultural Community’s Diversity and Social Cohesion: What is the role of heritage? Part 1

The heritage sector all through Europe and beyond is historically linked to the task to provide nations with glorious myths of origin. This is now changing. Heritage has increasingly become to serve as individual or ethnical projects to provide citizens with a cultural identity. And, global migration is profoundly changing how people perceive societies they live in, how they engage with cultures, and how heritage is given meaning. What roles do heritage bodies and museums play in increased diverse societies? And, how can applied heritage work to enhance social cohesion in a multicultural and globalised migration phenomenon? We invite speakers to this session who addresses these and related issues.

Heritage as a tool for integration
Abdi Noor Mohammed, Sweden

This paper will explore the possibilities of using heritage as a tool for integration aiming to create a cohesive society in Kronoberg and Kalmar Län. I will explore integration from my experience as a Somali immigrant in Sweden, and how the cultural heritage of both places helped me to integrate. In this process, I will be setting my views within the perspective of nomadic/rural heritage. I will be travelling time to scratch pieces of my cultural memories and patch them up here in Sweden, in an attempt to describe what integration meant back home, and what it means in Sweden. I will take the life and artefacts of a rural community as a reference point to highlight the similarities and differences between the two integration modalities, which, obviously have meeting points despite great geographical and socio-economic differences. From this, I will draw some recommendations on how cultural heritage could be used in the integration of migrant communities.

Where do I place my memories? Heritage, migration, and social cohesion.
Laia Colomer, Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellow, Linnaeus University (Sweden)

Until recently the dynamics of collective memory production unfolded primarily within the bounds of the nation state, as coming to terms with the past was largely a national project. Stateless communities, but also indigenous groups, have equally used the force of collective memories’ narratives and cultural heritage to construct their national identity projects. In the context of post-colonial and migration encounters, diaspora collective memory and heritage had also been used in the politics of community recognition. As a result, the memories of migrants have been recognised and commemorated in national museums of immigration, while meanwhile they are asked to integrate and adopt the culture of their new country. However after many years of migration fluxes, asylum welcome policies, and the presence of second and third generation of migrants in Europe, we may need to recognise that the cultural integration process is more complex than this elementary early project, and includes more complex factors and multiple agents. My paper will focus on one of these factors regarding the actual locus of past memories of migrants as new citizens in a country. Do their memories and experiences have actually a place in the narratives of the history of the nation-state? I will illustrate my arguments with the example of commemoration monuments and the politics of remembering.

Title and Abstract to be confirmed
Malin Lindmark Vrijman, course coordinator for the Establishment course and the promotor of the
collaboration with the refugees at Möllstorp's refugee camp.
Mathieu Vrijam, course coordinator for Future Enterprising. Volunteering in the collaboration with
Möllstorp's refugee camp
Lars Gustavsson, teach at the Establishment course and Future Enterprising. Volunteering in the
collaboration with Möllstorp's refugee camp
Elin Stenberg Brate, projet manager Future Enterprising

Presenting history and cultural heritage in a new way to a new audience
Viktoria Nylund, Finland

The last decades Finland has been known for its strict politics concerning refugees. On a yearly basis Finland has allowed about 700-1000 refugees in to the country. This all changed radically in September 2015 when a massive amount of refugees came to all of Europe, including Finland. In the end of year 2015 over 30 000 asylum-seekers found their way to Finland searching for a better and safer life.

With this scenario as a background the Finnish government gave an assignment to among others the 21 Children’s Culture Networks in Finland to work on programmes for integration between asylum-seekers and Finnish citizens. Since the Ostrobothnian Children´s Culture Network, BARK, target group is children and young people we also concentrate our work with asylum-seekers to children and young people. We have among other things arranged courses in Finnish folkdance for children, supported visits to museums and done traditional baking with asylum-seekers. We have also held lessons in Finnish history.   

One of the fundamental tasks of BARK is to educate young people in Finland today in their local history. We want them to know their roots and their history. We want to give them a positive attitude towards the local history and towards the place they stay at. We want to strengthen their identity. These are the questions we were thinking about when we started developing a program about Finland for unaccompanied refugee children; mainly boys aged 15-18. We wanted to tell them about the history of Finland and show similarities with their own countries. We also wanted to focus on equality. And, we wanted the program to be fun to take part in.

We developed a Pretzi-presentation with pictures, films and music. And we actually managed to present the history and customs of Finland from 1917-2016 in only 40 minutes. Since we can´t assume that our audience speak the same language as we do there are almost no texts at all in the presentation, only pictures.  In the end of the presentation we ask everyone to take out their cell phones and do a Kahoot- quiz on what we have just talked about.

As our audience, their interests, their background knowledge, their age and their patience differs we, as cultural organizations, sometimes need to create new and interesting ways of talking about history and cultural heritage. Showing history and cultural heritage only on a computer and with “new” technique is new for BARK and we think it´s a new method for a lot of the other participants in the conference as well.

13:30 Experimental Heritage: Bridging time, art and heritage in the local society

EXPERIMENTAL HERITAGE: BRIDGING TIME, ART AND HERITAGE IN THE LOCAL SOCIETY
Session organized by Bodil Petersson, Linnaeus University & Cultural Think Tank, Öland

In 2015 Linnaeus University together with Cultural Think Tank (in Swedish Kulturell Tankesmedja) initiated a collaboration project involving researchers and artists. The aim is to explore dimensions and meanings of heritage and artistic interpretation between past and present in the local society. We wish to bridge the time span and make heritage relevant to different groups of inhabitants and visitors. The intention is to create anew the relevance of the past in practices of the present through active inspirational meetings and methodically pioneering hands-on workshops and sketch work involving artists and researchers on equal terms. Theoretical and methodical aspects as well as case studies related to this kind of interdisciplinary and cross-cultural collaboration are discussed in this session. We wish to inspire others working with heritage and art, connecting research and artistic practices. This bottom-up project strives towards an anti-authoritative approach, pairing efforts of researchers and artists for the benefit of the local society. The projects aims at finding new interpretations and roles of the past in the present.

Session Part 1, Considerations on theory and method of Experimental Heritage

Experimental Heritage: a collaborative framework
Bodil Petersson, PhD and docent, project leader, Linnaeus University, Helle Kvamme, artist and project leader & Walle Dickson, author/artist and project leader:

Culture heritage experiments at the crossover between scientific research and artistic practice – A hermeneutical explorer perspective
Magali Ljungar-Chapelon, PhD and researcher in Digital Representation, Lund University:

As a researcher in artistic representation with a background within performing arts my purpose in the Experimental Heritage project will be to both theoretically and methodically and from a hermeneutical perspective highlight and discuss what kind of knowledge interdisciplinary collaborations at the borderland between artistic practice and scientific research whose common aim is to interpret the cultural heritage may nurture.
It means that, reflecting about our own time and philosopher Gadamer famous work Wahrheit und Methode / Truth and Method (1960/1997) – I will look at the interpretive processes of cultural heritage on the basis of what happens in the meeting between representatives of different horizons of knowledge, scientific traditions and artistic fields. What is it that happens when researchers in artistic research and archaeology together with artists strive to interpret the cultural heritage in an experimental way by shaping installations, works of art, writing texts and developing concepts? It is with my scientific background within artistic research and social sciences that I will contribute to exploring this matter during the project. It will be primarily based on the experiences of the artists and archaeologists involved in this specific project in relation to previous research concerning other interdisciplinary experiences in the cultural field. Thus the Experimental Heritage project in the specific context of Öland represents a case study in relation to the above discussion regarding the interpretation of cultural heritage in an interdisciplinary context. By participating to this project my state of mind will be that of an explorer, both spectator and actor/participant with Gadamer’s powerful concept of play (“Spiel” in German) as investigative tool seeking to experiment, discuss, share and document with the other members of the project their artistic and scientific practices, methods or non-methods and the diversity, colliding and/or converging of their interpretive processes. The ultimate goal being to contribute to develop new ideas and concepts, bridges between what we, human beings, are now and where we come from. In my presentation I will shortly present the first steps in this adventure, departing from the concepts of play and experience of art.

Title and abstract to be confirmed
Cecilia Jansson, musician and artist, Gothenburg

Session Part 2, Experimental formats (This part starts here and continues after the break)

Sound mounding: Sandby borg

Frances Gill, musician-artist, Urshult in Sweden, and PhD student in Archaeology, Tübingen, Germany.

At a recent Experimental Heritage meeting, archaeologists with the Sandby borg project, told the assembled gathering that there was to be no plan to make any special ceremony for the murdered bodies recovered at Sandby borg. This is because there is no knowing which religion they followed. A further question asked about moving human remains from the earth was met by the reply that since the bodies had been left lying as they had fallen, removing them felt to be respectful gesture.  Discussions afterwards with artists, many of whom live on Öland, indicated a feeling that Sandby borg had nevertheless become these bodies’ resting place. This presentation will give an overview of my work in the creating of a sound mound at the Iron Age site which takes inspiration from Bronze Age burial rituals and Native American shell mounds.

Bäckahästen, The Brook Horse

Annika Grünwaldt Svensson

This paper presents an artistic project with interactive instrumental sculpture as permanent decoration in the landscape. The sculpture will serve as musical instrument, and visitors will be able to upload recordings they do on the Internet, where there may be a growing material of interpretations and viewpoints. Being able to touch and influence a work of art / a decoration makes us feel involved and it becomes an investigative process with all senses engaged. In collaboration with Frances Gill, this idea has currently resulted in several sketches, contemporary music and a slide show.

The Brook horse is a strong and dangerous being who personify the untamed nature and the free-flowing water in Norse mythology. The idea presented is the result of inspiration and ideas during experimental heritage workshops and hikes on Öland where the theme was springs and water.The activities gave a deeper understanding of the importance of water sources and how strongly these have contributed to the stories and legends. It gave birth in turn to the idea to connect today's visitors of Öland’s nature to earlier times legends and believes both through a visual experience and music.

Several different materials and techniques will be evaluated for the implementation of the future sculpture. Bronze, cast iron, ductile iron, wood, fiberglass reinforced polyester plastic, concrete and limestone. The place where the sculpture should stand is not yet specified but must have water nearby and have an atmosphere that triggers the visitor's imagination.

15:15 Break, tea/coffee

15:45 Parallel sessions:

15:45 Kultur och hälsa forts. (session language: Swedish)

The session will focus on culture as a method for improving Public Health in Kalmar county.

We will discuss general results from projects. We also hope to get an answer in what way culture and health can be used as a method on a long term basis in different organizations in Kalmar.

Hälsa- och kultur i Kalmar läns slutkonferens.

Eftermiddagen handlar om på vilket sätt kultur- och hälsa kan integreras långsiktigt i landstingets, och övriga organisationers, verksamheter.

Vidare kommer generella resultat från genomförda pilotprojekt att presenteras liksom en genomgång av hur projektet har genomförts.

Kulturrådet som aktör för Hälsa och Kultur

Tua Stenström, Kulturrådet, Sverige

Rehabprojekt konst och hemslöjd i Emmaboda

Christen Erlingsson, docent i vårdvetenskap, institutionen för vårdvetenskap, Linnéuniversitetet, Yvonne Amper, hemslöjdare och Tone Ougaard, konstnär

Rehabprojekt konst och hemslöjd i Emmaboda –Christen Erlingsson, redovisar sina forskningsresultat. Yvonne Amper –hemslöjdare och Tone Ougaard -konstnär berättar om sina upplevelser från projektet.
 

15:45 Meeting places for issues of faith and life

The session from before the coffee break continues.

We have explored different churches in Sweden and what they can tell us about faith and life. In a historical setting what were their questions about, and how expressions of faith and life can help us to understand who we are today and that our issues of faith and life have been dealt with before and how they solved problems then. In this project we have been working with confirmands and their leaders to explore different issues in 14 different churches.

If the war comes, what is important to save in church and in our own life? What is the image that I want others to remember me by? The old facebook. How can we cooperate when we have experienced a loss? What about the horse in the church? What is important to hold on to? On a particular issue of the Reformation. What responsibilities do I have to other persons? What about the future? What can I do with my life? Does the Christian faith have a future?

In this session you’ll meet the confirmands leaders who’ll talk about their experiences and what we did in the different churches and you will hear what the confirmands thought about this method. Together we have written a book about the time travel method and our experiences.

Maija Karlsson, Turinge Taxinge församling, Church of Sweden

Torbjörn Burvall, Mariefreds Församling, Church of Sweden

Eva Båkestad, Torshälla församling, Church of Sweden

Mathilda Ericsson, Växjö stift, Church of Sweden

Time Travel method experience from Kulltorp, what happened next?

Maria Rickardsson and Kerstin Carlsson Swedish church

Our parish, Kulltorp, have been involved in a project with Kalmar county museum and Vaxjo congregation, were we together explored our church and it’s history. Our church is older than 800 year and holds many stories. Together we got a deeper insight and understanding about our self and current questions. We have done 2 time travels with our catechist and Kalmar count museum help us with everything, to write scenario, give advice and lend us clothes and props. When the project was over we wanted to do more because we were full of ideas.
1. We wanted continue with time travels but we have no clothes from that time but we had ladies that were sewing knowledgeable. We asked them if they wanted to be involved I a new project and sew clothes from 1700´s. We now have a group with ladies who had learned more about that time and who to make these clothes. We also create others props as medicine.
2. We have in summertime our church open for tourists and young people, old catechists, have summer jobs were they are guiding in these clothes.
3. We are going to have a time travel service in our church for our parish because they are so curious about what we are doing with our catechists.
4. We have had lectures about our experience to inspire others in other parishes, annual meetings and other events

Book Release - Mötesplats för trons och livets frågor

Kristina Wänblom, Verbum förlag.

15:45 Migration, Cultural Community’s Diversity and Social Cohesion: What is the role of heritage? Part 2

The heritage sector all through Europe and beyond is historically linked to the task to provide nations with glorious myths of origin. This is now changing. Heritage has increasingly become to serve as individual or ethnical projects to provide citizens with a cultural identity. And, global migration is profoundly changing how people perceive societies they live in, how they engage with cultures, and how heritage is given meaning. What roles do heritage bodies and museums play in increased diverse societies? And, how can applied heritage work to enhance social cohesion in a multicultural and globalised migration phenomenon? We invite speakers to this session who addresses these and related issues.

The Heritage Sector in a Pluralistic Society. Some future challanges

Anders Högberg, Assoc. Professor, Linnaeus University, Sweden

The last 10 years have seen an increasing awareness within heritage studies and the heritage sector on questions on community and identity and heritage as a political issue within a pluralistic society. This has of course influenced the way the sector addresses and works with these issues.

In a recently conducted research study I have analyzed how the Swedish heritage sector has worked with issues on heritage, identity and heritage management in a multicultural plural society over ten years (2002-2012).

Based on results from this study I will discuss how the heritage sector understand, deals with and work with heritage and plurality. How are the empirically and theoretically interpretations which heritage represents transformed into day-to-day work? How is cultural identity understood in relation to heritage and present day migration? How is an understanding of the dynamics between the local, regional, national and supra-national demonstrated when boarders and boundaries are putted into question by various processes of globalization? What kind of old borders and boundaries are crossed and which new ones are constructed?

By comparing results from the Swedish case-study with global questions on heritage and identity I will draw conclusions on issues on heritage politics, practices and narratives which crystallize as urgent for the heritage sector and heritage studies to address. 

Stories across borders, To chare stories of cultural heritage and nature – some practical experiences

Ann-Charlotte Magnusson, project manager at Öland Hembygdsförbund and Öland Museum Himmelsberga

The stories unfold and reveal themselves through the centuries strung like beads on a necklace, or points - which are sometimes forming lines - which gives meaning to the landscape. Some sites, areas and boundaries have been loaded with multiple stories to give extra weight or legitimacy…as long as the stories are remembered by someone, as long as the stories are told and retold, as long as the stories are made relevant to contemporary life…

To speak of pastures and livestock along with Kenyans - mutual exchange of experiences and posing new kind of questions to the Öland history. In the Middle Ages all farmers in an Öland village had part of the arable lands and meadows in the village infield. The outfield forests and pastures belonged to the Crown, but the islanders traditionally could heard their cattle there. The land division reforms in the late 1700’s and early 1800’s changed the landscape as well as hearding traditions. Kenyan pastoralists have similar problems with overgrazing, sensitive flora and different kind of restrictions from authorities, but have not been subjected to land division reforms similar to those on Öland.

Non-stop drop-in workshops and eco-mapping – methods that enhances social cohesion and the transmission of stories and knowledge between generations and across social borders. Experiences from workshops where, using photos and eco-mapping, we gather people with different backgrounds who makes the history broader and makes it applicable and contemporary as well as comparable with the past.

The historical village walk – a method of telling the local history through juxtaposition of knowledge. The historical village walk gather locals as well as people from far away. Residents through many generations, young and old, meets the casual visitor who sets other issues which highlight what otherwise would have been forgotten, and recalls the obvius that the elderly not told. Are the stories known by everyone in the neighbourhood, or are they unevenly distributed? How does knowledge of each other’s stories contribute to social cohesion?

Society knowledge for immigrants

Mattias Lunn, Curator, Kalmar County Museum, Sweden

For more than a year Kalmar county museum has conducted workshops and educations in society knowledge in different formats. Originally this assignment was given to us from The Regional Council in Kalmar County. These educations are given to all immigrants who has gotten a residence permit in 10 out of 12 municipalities in Kalmar County. Kalmar county museum carries out a four hours education with each group. The society knowledge education has been designed in six different parts and in four different education packages. This presentation will have focus on the educational package for those immigrants with a residence permit.
The purpose of these educations are several. One is to get a deeper understanding of the emergence of Sweden, what has historically shaped this society and those who calls themselves Swedes? Another is to put Sweden in a world context and be a catalyst for further discussions. Other goals is to promote curiosity and engagement about important society issues. A vital part of these programs is the discussions, new perspectives, self-reflection and to be a place where thoughts, opinions and ideas can meet.
In this education we turn the perspective a bit. The start off point is WVS cultural map of the world which shows that the immigrants who comes to Sweden isn´t that different in their values to the rest of the world. It´s the swedes who seems to be the remarkable ones.
Which part of the Swedish history is important to talk about, and why? Is it relevant to talk about what separate us in norms and values? Shouldn’t we talk about what unites us? How do we avoid and not enhance generalizations and prejudices? Is it possible to conduct an education where the participants have such a different background and understanding? The challenges were many.
In this presentation I will talk about some of the challenges and outcomes of these educational packages.

15:45 Experimental Heritage: Bridging time, art and heritage in the local society

Session Part 2, Experimental formats

Layers of living in Layers of time

Anita Synnestvedt, PhD in archaeology, University of Gothenburg:

In 2013 the largest urban archaeological excavation ever undertaken in West Sweden started in the area of Gamlestaden in Gothenburg. The town of "Nya Lödöse", which lay here between 1473 and 1624, is being excavated. The area is set to undergo major transformations. New construction activities with buildings, a new hub for public transport, walkways and bike lanes will transform the urban landscape. The archaeological dig is done behind fences. You can have a glimpse of what´s going on, peeking through little openings, but it is hard to understand – what is happening? You can go for a guided tour, but do you see the connection between now and then? Do the archaeologists care about what´s happening outside the fence while they are digging? What is present, what is past? How can we explore the environment when space is money? In a workshop arranged in May 2015 archaeologists, musicians, artists and students investigated the environment in Gamlestaden with the aim discovering stories and contexts in the many layers of time. This investigation resulted in a video: Layers of living in layers of time. The purpose and the outcome of the video will be discussed in the presentation.

Astral Women

Linda Persson, artist, London:

This is a short film shot at the witch island The Blue Maiden in Sweden. This island has been part of legends and myths for over 700 years. It has been a quarry and a herding place. But it now a nature reserve (since 1926). The island still contains myths and curses, that people still feel affected by. One thing is the cursed stones. These taken stones reappear in forms of returns from people who have taken them. Often with a letter saying that since having the stone odd things and sometime really bad things have happened. Its also a known island for 'witchcraft'. Women used to congregate there to have meetings. Prior to these 'meetings' mermaids and mermen protected the island. It is a mysterious place and the film was shoot on 16mm / HD merging technologies and so also different 'times' technically, to emphasise its strange relation to time and landscape and the economy around the stones.

Exploring colour and spatial experience in green urban spaces

Henriette Koblanck, professor em in Design Sciences, Linnaeus University:

The research project is aimed at exploring colour and spatial experience in green urban spaces, specifically urban avenues. It is carried out both in Sweden and in Italy through the observation of two avenues, of their rhythmical change of shape and their shifting of colours.
The methodology applied is through photographs.
The experience of colour in nature over time can provide a link between the contemporary moment and history, not only giving a different view of the city as such, it can in many ways be of significance to our experience of life.

The project is led by Henriette Koblanck, who attracted by an avenue about two kilometres long, which is lined by tall elms quite near her home, decided to collect pictures of it. The avenue is unique in its kind and in her words “to walk through it at different times during the day gives you different impressions. Early in the morning its green colour is light and easy, but late at night it becomes dark nearly black, a place full of secrets. The green foliage changes colour during the day and changes the perception of ‘room’. You can observe this happening also in a city, or a neighbourhood”, according to the thoughts above the presence of trees as “urban furniture” planned to be placed in lines, but also pillars supporting green arches sometimes with blossoms.
Henriette Koblanck further thought is that ”Conceptually the experience late in the evening when it is dark, could be related to a meeting between Eve and Adam”, named in Norse mythology Ask (Adam) and Embla (Eva) male and female respectively. While Ask means the tree Ash, Embla is also the Latin name for the tree Alm. Then following “Here I have taken ideas from Gilles Deleuze and his thoughts on the rhizomes, which allows him to move in a completely new connections, space and time cease to exist in the real sense. One can also speak from a social constructionist perspective”. The avenue will be an experience of a place of sacrifice, which was often an open space surrounded by unique trees. There is also, of course, the connection to how to work in the theatre, but here, I see it more as an individual experience of a particular place and over time”.
The second step in the project is to involve the observation of a second avenue in warmer climate to confront with the Northern one. The choice is the tree lined avenue of Via San Vittore in the historical centre of Milan, in Italy, very traffic congested, that has series of different trees, changing thus shape, colours and height and extension of foliage, in effect going in crescendo from the entrance to the output. In the initial part, the entrance if you are coming from the urban centre, there are flowery callery pear trees  about 5 m tall, about halfway you meet some poplar trees and silverleaf maples, and in the final part are Sophoras (S. japonica L.) which reaches up to 20 m tall.
Again, in analysing the living environment created by the trees, we may take in consideration Deleuze and Guattari’s concept of “smooth space” that refers to an environment, a landscape in which a subject operates. “It is a space of affects, more than one of properties. It is haptic rather than optical perception. (…)It is an intensive rather than extensive space. (…) Conducive to rhizomatic growth and nomadic movement, smooth space consists of disorganized matter and tends to provoke a sensual or tactical response rather than a starkly rational method of operation or a planned trajectory.“

The phenomenal buzzer - now and then. Listen, Play, Create - and Enjoy!

Cajsa S Lund, music archaeologist at Linnaeus university:

The bone buzzer is a sound tool made from a pig’s metapodial, known since the Iron Age and still in use by children. My paper is a case study of buzzers through the ages and their use and function now and then in different contexts, from high-cultural opera music and ancient popular belief to children’s games with them in our modern societies. It will also include experimental music archaeology.

     The Swedish composer Torsten Nilsson (1920-1999) wrote in 1990 a music drama, called Malin, featuring motifs drawn from the Bronze Age and the Viking Age. He was inspired by my music-archaeological research and he used such sound instruments as bone buzzers. We discussed the problem how buzzers would be noted in the score. And we discussed the art of playing them in a present-day chamber orchestra. Music-archaeological finds became a part of a contemporary music work.

     At this time, I also lectured in schools for children of age 10-12 about prehistoric sound instruments. Some children were familiar with buzzers of the same kind that I could detect in the archaeological material. This was because their grand-parents or great-grandparents had told them about such sound tools. I had then the opportunity to meet with people in the oldest generation who had told their grandchildren or great-grandchildren about buzzers. One woman, who was about hundred years old, told me about the making of buzzers, how to play them and their use and function as she in her turn was told about by her great-grandmother’s mother, who lived in the 1770s. Such ethno-musicological ”by-products” resulted in information that was not known before and that can probably be applied to buzzers in medieval and even prehistoric times. Thus, it was thanks to the grandchildren and great- grandchildren that I got into contact with such still living very old traditioners.

     The children in their turn told me about their present-day buzzers, home-made as well as factory-made, but today used just as sound toys. Interesting in a historiographical perspective is that I myself as a newly-fledged music archaeologist contributed to the interpretation of archaeological finds of pierced pigs’ metapodials as buzzers rather than buttons or amulets, although this is an interpretation not without problems!

Recharging the coastal labyrinths of the Baltic Sea

Christina Fagerström

In Kalmarsund, the island called the Blue Virgin, is surrounded by tales of strange and evil phenomena and famous for its large stone labyrinth. The island, since 1926 a national park, was considered dangerous by sailors who didn´t even want to pronounce the island by its ol-der name of Blåkulla - Blue rock. Still today, stones taken from the island is considered to bring bad luck. This is especially the case with stones from the labyrinth, which is also an offence against the law. The 18 meters wide labyrinths in 13 lapses, laid with about fist large stones, is as well as about 700 coastal labyrinths around the Baltic Sea, Bothnia, the Fin¬nish Gulf, the White Sea and Barents Sea, of unknown age. The Blue Virgin labyrinth is men¬tio-ned by Carl Linneus from his travels in Småland in the year 1741. Standing on the Blue Vir-gin, you will have visual contact with another prominent island labyrinth in the Mis¬ter¬hult parish to which the Blue Virgin belongs. Why this is so, is only one of the many intri¬guing questions con¬cer¬ning the purposes and practices of the coastal labyrinths. Could they indicate borders for the parish fishing waters, of vital interest for the new Christian demands for fish in the 13-14th centuries? Prof Christer Westerholm intro¬duces the idea of spiritscapes of coastal labyrinths in his new book Livets och dödens laby¬rinth – the labyrinth of life and death. The labyrinths are there to be explored in their many dimensions of an enigmatic cultu¬ral heritage, ready to be recharged with new relevance by local curiosity and creativity.

17:30 End of sessions

19:00 Conference dinner in Kalmarsalen

9:00 Time Travel

11:45 Lunch

13:15 The Time Travel Method

Moderator: Ebbe Westergren

13:45 Keynote speaker

CULTURAL HERITAGE AS A CATALYST OF SOCIAL COHESION: A CASE STUDY OF NATIONAL MUSEUMS OF KENYA
Mzalendo N. Kibunjia, Director General, National Museums of Kenya

As a defining characteristic, cultural diversity is one of the greatest resources of human society. As a factor and a product of continuous adaptation, culture has enabled humans to live in harmony in their diverse environments and with each other. The diversity of culture is therefore a reflection the infinite potential of humans to exchange experiences and relate to the environment in an infinitely enriching way. Such intercultural exchanges have been exhibited throughout human history in form of intermarriages, trade and diplomacy. Unfortunately, selective emphasis of cultural differences and negative competition has been (ab)used as a tool for divisive social engineering in many parts of the world, resulting in social disharmony and disintegration among different cultures and communities. In Africa, in particular, cultural and ethnic identity has been negatively used by contemporary communal leaders and politicians to achieve their selfish political objectives while causing inter- ethnic strife among different communities.
Kenya has more than 42 ethnic communities which have had a very dynamic and fluid coexistence characterised by movements, trade, intermarriages and assimilation dating back to prehistory period.  However, in the last half of a century, Kenya has witnessed growing inter-ethnic antagonism instigated by politicians search for power. The climax of this antagonism was witnessed during Kenya’s Post Election Violence after 2007/2008 in which politicians capitalised on cultural and ethnic identity as a powerful tool to turn communities against each other.
My presentation explores the potentialities of using cultural heritage to bring about understanding, respect and harmonious existence among different cultures for the good of all, and environmental sustainability. It focuses on how the National Museums of Kenya uses a diversity of innovative methods to bring intercultural and social cohesion using local history and applied heritage.

14.30 Break, tea/coffee

15.00 Parallell sessions:

15.00 Conflict Transformation and Integration

Potential for Enhancing Social Cohesion Using Applied Heritage: Experience from Kenya

David Mbuthia, Coordinator, Public Programmes, National Museums of Kenya

Different African communities have coexisted for many years in a state of continuous flux characterised by migration, inter-communal trade and marriages. In the course of their historical and dynamic interactions, the communities devised ways of dealing with each other in harmonious way, including resolving disputes that would be occasioned by competition for natural resources.

At the advent of colonialism, colonial masters introduced western systems including arbitrary boundaries to delieanate territories for natural resources exploitation. The colonial systems disregarded and disrupted the pre-existing traditional migratory and trade routes, resource management, belief as well as conflict resolution systems. Using divide- and-rule methods and stereotypes, the colonists antagonised African communities against each other and conveniently restricted them in perceived ethnic territories.

 After many African countries acquired independence, the political elite continued to employ cultural and ethnic identity for divisive politics so as to maintain ethnic fiefdom and political power. The divisive politics has caused catastrophic social disharmony to most African countries at different times. Kenya is not an exception with more that 3000 people having died during the 2007/08 post election violence.

As Kenya continues to implement devolution under the Constitution of Kenya 2010, there is need to continuously and creatively advocate for social integration and cohesion at local, county and national levels. Applied heritage and time travel method have shown high potential for enhancing cohesion and integration among different communities in Kenya. My presentation will share some experiences of using this approach in Kenya.

Estonian History and Russians

Maie Toomsalu, MA, University of Tartu, Igne Lembinen, MA, University of Tartu

Following the Livonian War, the first Russian settlers came to live on the Western coast of Lake Peipsi. Following Nordic War (1710) arrived new wave of Russian settlers on Estonian Rerritory. Following World War II, Russian-speaking people were brought to Estonia from all over Russia according the Stalinist plan of mixing the nationalities. At later times, workers were brought in for the war industry. Estonian population suffered deportations to Siberia in 1941 and 1949. Some people were taken to Siberia twice. The Estonian-speaking population learned to speak Russian and there were generally no conflicts between the nationalities. When the Soviet army left, some of the Russian-speaking population followed it, but a large part of the Russian-speaking population stayed at their home. Since 1991, conscious efforts have been made to help people who do not speak Estonian as their mother tonque integrate into everyday life of Estonian community.

The largest Estonian conflict – the Bronze Night – occured in 2007, when there were riots in Tallinn and other parts of Estonia from April 26 to April 29. The cause of the riots was preparations made on April 26 near the WW-II monument – the Bronze Soldier – to begin the archeological excavation and identification of the remains. These were to start on April 27 at 10 AM but were postponed because of the riots. The goal was to determine the people buried there and to enable the removal of the remains to the military cemetery with the monument.

The riots have been supported by some of the members of the Russian State Duma.

In recent years it has repeatedly been announced in the media that Russia is worried about the Russian-speaking population that supposedly is being dicriminated in Estonia and therefore requires protection from the outside. This became topical again in connection with  the events in Ukraine and Crimea.

For testing the mentality in Russians who are living in Estonia our recearch group made small pilot study  „Which holidays Estonian Russians celebrates“. The recearch concluded that from 30 interviewers only one is very close with Russia. Others interviewers are accepted Estonian holidays and traditions. To prevent 2007 year conflicts it is very important to inform young Russians who are living here about Estonian cultural heritage and traditions and to do it through time travel is excellent opportunity.

Time Travel and Social Cohesion

Gulshera Khan, South Africa

 General du Plan of France defines social cohesion as: “ A set of social processes that help instil in individuals the sense of belonging to the same community and the feeling that they are recognized as members of that community.”

Social Cohesion is what holds societies together. A key component for social cohesion is social justice. This is the measure of the extent of fairness and equity in terms of access to and participation in the political, socio-economic and cultural aspects of society.

 In the 21 years of democracy, it is increasing needed to embark on social cohesion programmes. Our objective as the Port Shepstone Twinning Association is to focus on the youth, bridging the gap between the older generation, racial divides, urban / rural programmes, creating opportunities for the unemployed and even international cross cultural tolerance and diversity challenges. Within this context Time Travel based on Social Cohesion are held.

SOCIAL COHESION: THE ROLE OF OUTDOOR EDUCATION

Grace Mitambo, County Director of Sports, Marsabit County, Kenya

Outdoor education provides the settings for transition to occur because the outdoors operates with a different set of norms and characteristics from the everyday life that participant are familiar with. The use of outdoor education confronts people with the results of their own actions and provides important learning for life. Cooperative learning approach _ group learning promotes interdependence and individual responsibility. It integrates affective, cognitive, psychomotor and social responsibilities (Mwathi and Kamenju, 2010). Participants are able to develop relationships with others through participating in activities that demand trust, cooperation and problem solving while providing the possibility for personal growth in gaining confidence and self-concept.

Outdoor education stresses the wholeness of knowledge and the person with emphasis on social and emotional growth. Activities are designed in the natural environments addressing problem-solving skills as well as individual and group dynamics issues. The emphasis is laid on inculcation of societal values where working in groups under a leader who keeps order. 

Outdoor education enhances life effectiveness qualities, which include active initiative, self-confidence, time management, intellectual flexibility, achievement motivation, social competence, task leadership and emotional control. It encourages participants to push past their comfort zones, take risks, and utilize teamwork to reach achievement and success.

Time travel stresses on outdoor education approach where the teachers give challenges in form of activities and students are given an opportunity to practice. Pupils/students benefit from creativity, socialization, exploration, teamwork, and leadership. 

Looking Back in Order to Move Forward: The Futures of Peace and Conflict Management among the Gabbra and the Boran of Marsabit County

FELISTUS KINYANJUI

 In recent times Kenya’s pastoral  communities have been projected as hotspots  resource-based conflicts. The violence-prone areas have become vulnerable to bandits and other trans-border criminal bound to cause havoc in the fringes of the country.  These conflicts have hindered economic progress and been barriers to the delivery of social services to the residents. Economic indices of the area display a pathetic reality that can be reverted by re-looking the social and cultural institutions that for long have effectively worked in the past.   Amidst this modern development has been oblivious of the ingenius social and political institutions that can be co-opted and integrated to  bring the communities  up to speed with the demands of the ever changing political and economic arena. Too much top-driven agenda as opposed to population -centric approach denies practitioners in health, peace-building, agriculture and governance an opportunity to break even and seize opportunities for prosperity for the local population. We argue that the Gabbra and the Boran have rich institutions in the  areas of health, education and politics which can feed to modern demands. These can be  reinvigorated and revamped to respond to the ever changing times. In the population lie solutions in regard to the menace of malaria, childhood diseases, clan violence, trans-border crimes and cattle rustling, which can be averted to harness  the dividends of globalization. This study is informed by ethnographic data collected in field and synthesized works in the area of health and politics among the two communities of Marsabit County.

15.00 Cultural Heritage, Public Health and Wellbeing

How to use heritage, life stories and time travels in elderly care

Emma Angelin-Holmén and Tina Lindström, Kalmar County museum, Sweden

Kalmar County museum have been working with different projects concerning elder care and heritage since 2009. The method has developed from activities with elderly like storytelling, hat parades, time travels and memory boxes to training of staff about heritage as a method. To use heritage is to focus on life stories and use the resources that staff and elderly have within themselves. It´s also about using the local history as a resource to increase participation and create meaningful activities. The method has been developed by the county museum together with social services in Kalmar and Mörbylånga municipalities and also with municipalities and senior centers in Western Cape, south Africa. There are now two nursing homes in Kalmar county that have cultural heritage as a profile and all the staff are educated in the methods.

Elderly care in Sweden is changing and have great challenges in the future when a large percentage of the population will be elderly. The large generation that where born in the 1940´s will have different needs and demands than the earlier generations. Using cultural heritage could be one way of approaching the new demands.

This presentation will discuss how cultural heritage can be a method in the care of elder and how staff, assisting nurses, can be trained in using the local heritage as a resource in their work.  The time travel method is used in all training.

Bridging ages: A life changing community development & social cohesion project.

Alida Cillers and Isabelle van der Merwe, Silver Threads Dienssentrum, South Africa

1.  Background on how the Bridging Ages projects enhance the vision & mission of Silver Threads Dienssentrum and being used as a community empowerment tool
2. Building bridges: generations & multicultural relation building projects
3. Social cohesion through applied heritage and  Time Travel projects
4. Job creation & fundraising through our Bridging Ages projects : Social enterprise development and Black Economic empowerment and entrepreneurship (BEE ) 
5. Keeping Bridging Ages projects sustainable

Cultural activities - A tool for wellbeing and social cohesion

Maria Linderström, Region Östergötland, Sweden

Research has shown that taking part in cultural activities you like, can promote health and wellbeing. There is also a growing evidence of how cultural activities can stimulate the brain. 2012 the Public Health Centre, Östergötland County Council, developed a programme using cultural activities as health promotion for patients. Cultural activities in the programme defines culture in a broad sense to in-corporate individual creativity and artistic expression as well as nature as a healing environment. Patients participates in series of activities with different themes; painting, reading, singing, gardening, handy craft and nature. Each activity shall meet specific criteria; being joyful and without demands of result.

Method:Counsellors in health care recommends patients with milder psychological problems to join series of cultural activities at the arena of professional cultural actors. By joining the programme and participate in the series of activities patients take their own responsibility as a strategy of empowerment and coping. By being a participant instead of a patient focus is redirected to wellbeing.

Results: A questionnaire is sent to participants before and after the series as well as to actors and counsellors. Results show that all parts are positive to the concept. Patients reports positive comments on wellbeing and social networking. Counsellors have found a complement to methods in traditional health care. Actors are interested of developing their specialities in this area.
Our results have shown that Cultural activities –a tool for wellbeing is highly appreciated among both patients and counsellors. The concept seems to be a possible way for health promotion and patient empowerment. Traditional health care is lacking tools for this group of patients, except from counselling. The pilot study is now being integrated as a regular tool in primary health care in Östergötland County Council. Co-operation between health care and cultural actors opens new possibilities and arenas.

House of plenty: A social innovation model for community development

Wanjiku Kaime Atterhög, Sweden

Preventive health using cultural heritage - experience in Marsabit county

Steven Labarakwe, Kenya.

15.00 Uses of History, Meaning Making and Effects among Time Travel Participants

Time travels, professionally arranged by museums or schools at historical sites, provide the opportunity for participants to make an imaginary trip back in time to learn about significant places, times and events, and to learn about themselves. To travel in time can be described as an encounter between now and then. Such an interlude encourages participants to relate the present to the past and to reflect upon their own lives as they interact with the unfamiliar time. In that way one can replace an ‘us and them’ attitude with an approach that unites people and highlights what they have in common. This type of encounter carries the potential for meaning-making. Merging the ‘now and then’ with ‘similar and different’ can make it possible to understand one’s own place in – and relation to – history. But how do participants perceive time travels, what do they learn, what is their view of the past, the present, the future, themselves and the other?

Papers:

Using the heritage and the past – As tools, weapons and essential parts of identity

Erica Kolppanen, PhD student in museology , Umeå University, Sweden

History and the past have been used to justify and legitimise wars, royal families, nation borders and all kinds of political actions in hundred of years. People want their actions to fit in with history and history to fit in with their actions. It seems like it’s sometimes easier to connect with something that happened near in place but long ago than connecting to something happening right now but far away. I will discuss how the usage of our cultural heritage always has an agenda and an outcome. Whether the goal is social cohesion or something less positive the people who use the heritage need to be aware of the underlying agenda and possible outcome of the usage. There are political powers on the move and no usage of our history is neutral nor is it objective. I will also discuss how we fortunately enough can use our local history to better understand what happens in the world today. To use something we feel close to to understand something we feel alienated from. The topics of the presentation will be discussed on the basis of my own research and participant observations at several museums in Sweden. Time travels will be in focus in my presentation and of course I’ll also give some examples from my field studies.

The Freedom tree: an innovative way to teach Ugandan history.

Semakula Samson Agronomist and In Charge International relations Entebbe Municipal Council and local coordinator for the Entebbe Kalmar City to City Cooperation
Douglas MuwongeThe Senior Community Development Officer Entebbe Municipal Council

Towards the end of the Colonial rule in Uganda a group of Ugandan political activists gathered beneath a tree and discussed how they can free themselves from the colonial slavery. These meetings were very important in the build up to Uganda's independence.

Entebbe Municipal Council has preserved this tree the purpose of teaching this history to all its people without any limits in age we teach to the young and old and the general public using the Time Travel Concept. Entebbe holds annual Time Travel events. The Independence story was initially told to us by people who took part in the pre-independence debate and they helped us set the scenario.
 

History IRL - How participants perceive time travels

Niklas Ammert, Linnaeus University, Sweden

To travel in time can be described as an encounter between now and then. The time traveller experiences a constructed past interpreted in present time. At the same time the time traveller  could use the past as a mirror to learn something about herself. These multidimensional relations between the past and the present could be perceived and interpreted in a variety of ways. In this presentation I will discuss a typology to chategorize and analyze time travellers'  perceptions of the past.

 800 B.C. Giresun Island

Hakan Adanır, Time Travel Project Coordinator, Turkey

Giresun Island is the only island that Archaeological and natural site (protected area) in the Blacksea. The island offers a good opportunity for peace against increasing tension between Turkey and Greece from time to time. As is known Turks came from Central Asia to Blacksea region at 800 BC’s. Since this date, in the region, they lived with many people. This relations has sometimes led to war.

Giresun Island is also an island which stopped by famaus Greek mythology hero Heracles during his Altınpost adventure. Also Altınpost legend of Hercules and Argonouts says this could be at 800 BC’s.

800 B.C. Giresun Island tour is a time trip that brings Greeks and Turks together in an island and spend time in companionship. This project gives us an opportunity for intercultural dialogue and stiffen Turk-Greek friendship. At the same time, it is presenting an opportunity to meet with roots of todays Giresun local culture. We are happy for to bring two nations together in peace.

Cooperating in time travel – a case from Vaasa, Finland

Eva-Marie Backnäs, Museum teacher, Stundars museum, Finland

For a number of years, different organizations in Vaasa, Finland have come together once a year to plan and arrange time travels for 6th grade pupils. Taking part in the time travel are museums of different size and shape (from the regional museum to a local heritage museum with a staff of one), the city library and the Children’s Culture Network BARK.

The time travel is arranged during two weeks in autumn, during which time the programme is offered to all schools in Vaasa. Usually 300-400 pupils take part in the time travel during the duration of the programme. Themes have varied from shipping and trade in the late 18th century to immigration in the 1970’s. The venues for the time travel change in accordance, so that all participating organisations take turns to host the time travel.

The cooperation between different types and sizes of cultural organizations is essential for the success of the programme.  Without cooperating, none of the parts in the time travel programme would be able to provide such an extensive programme. We are also able to draw from each others’ strengths and learn from each other, as well as providing all schools in Vaasa with a diverse and high quality programme that is free of charge.

17.00 End of sessions

19:00 Evening event at Kalmar County Museum

8:30 Keynote speaker

Meaningful connections: when heritage matters

Paloma González-Marcén, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona

The disciplinary tradition of archaeology has tended to define (archaeological ) heritage as closed material containers of a set of values, ranging from ​​from identity - political to the social-educational ones depending on the various publics or users of these entities. On the contrary, in this talk I will address the concept of heritage from a different perspective based on that heritage is neither any material entity, nor any preset values arising from public or users. We start from the premise that heritage is a relational context in which values, experiences and expectations converge and that only when this relationship positively affects the lives of people, the conventional notion of archeological and historical heritage acquires public relevance – ie. heritage matters. To illustrate this position, I will present some cases and projects that link their public and social vocation with a concept of heritage understood as meaningful connections.

Paloma González-Marcén is a associate professor in the Department of Prehistory of the Autonomous University of Barcelona and researcher in the Centre for Archaeological Heritage Studies at the same university. Her research has focused on public archaeology and theoretical and methodological aspects of archaeological research, especially related to gender archaeology. She has been principal investigator in numerous national and international projects focused on heritage education and tourism and their impact on local communities.

9.15 Break, tea/coffee

9:45 Parallell sessions:

9:45 Public Archaeology in Society: New approaches, new partners, new challenges

Session organised by Cornelius Holtorf and INNOVARCH project group

Public archaeology is growing exponentially throughout Europe. Often a variety of collaborating partners are involved in the context of specific local projects. Although there is a large variety of goals, approaches, and practices of public archaeology, there are many positive examples for successful projects in Europe and beyond. In this session we are addressing the larger question of public archaeology’s changing role and character in society. We will address questions such as these: Which new approaches allow public archaeology to meet ambitions that go beyond education about the past and scientific methods? What can we gain from building alliances with new partners in society and crossing old boundaries? Which structures or principles are needed to govern collaborations between public archaeology and its many partners? What kind of academic expertise does public archaeology need in the future? In what way does the practice of public archaeology challenge and redefine the discipline of archaeology in society?

The session is part of the EU Erasmus+ project INNOVARCH (http://pagines.uab.cat/innovarch/)

Introduction: Public Archaeology as Applied Archaeology

Cornelius Holtorf, Centre for Applied Heritage, Linnaeus University, Kalmar, Sweden

In my introduction to the session, I am presenting the way in which we operate in the new Centre for Applied Heritage at Linnaeus University where we conceive of public archaeology as applied archaeology. Applied heritage is about the potential of heritage to transform society. In the Centre, we critically examine and constructively develop the relations between heritage and society from a multidisciplinary perspective. Our particular interest are the values, benefits and uses of cultural heritage in society. We are actively exploring new applications and uses of heritage and heritage perspectives for the benefit of society. We strengthen the links between academic and other realms of heritage and, whenever possible, seek cooperation with partners both inside and outside the heritage sector. Since we live in a globalised world our focus is global too.

At home with history or a stranger to the past? Future memories and togetherness in a conflicting society.

Katherine Hauptman, Swedish History Museum, Stockholm, Sweden

According to public surveys, museums are very trustworthy institutions. As the highly renowned museums consultant Elaine Heumann Gurian put it, they have the potential to be “safe places for unsafe ideas”. This may in fact become one of the most important future roles for the heritage museum in a society with growing gaps between different groups. Through an on-going democratization process previously marginalized groups gain more co-determination in inclusive museums; however, a parallel development is evident in Europe with nationalist movements and the increasing use of history for excluding people.

During the last ten years the Swedish History Museum produced a number of public archaeology and participatory learning projects. They targeted different audiences and used different methods but they all had one thing in common; a critical perspective questioning who is in charge of the collective history, why to do it and for whom. In short, public archaeology can successfully become a tool for re-thinking traditional archaeological and museum practices. Public archaeology problematizes the changing role of the expert, who today needs to be a credible debater among others in the public arena. In many ways, this is a happy development engaging more people. Nevertheless the changes in society during the same time period place new demands on the museums and on public co-creations in archaeology and heritage contexts.

Thinkers and Feelers in Public Archaeologies of the Future

John Schofield, Archaeology, University of York, UK

A couple of years ago I wrote about a perceived discrepancy in cultural heritage practice, between processes that are best managed by what are often termed ‘thinkers’ (at least through Myers Briggs and other comparable characterisations of personality) and the need for more ‘feelers’ in a sector where dialogue and discourse are growing in significance. I remain of that view and will here discuss it more in the context of public archaeology and specifically the growth of community projects that aim to enhance wellbeing through archaeological practice. Using some current and recent examples I will explore: how archaeology can achieve things that other projects and initiatives cannot; why people enjoy getting involved; and what challenges remain for a sector (academic and professional) that seeks greater public engagement with the past, present and future.  

NEARCH – an EU project about Public Archaeology

Anita Synnestvedt, University of Gothenburg, Sweden

NEARCH stands for New ways of Engaging audiences, Activating societal relations and Renewing practices in Cultural Heritage. The project is supported by the European Commission for 5 years (2013-2018) in the framework of the Culture programme and it is a European-wide cooperation network of 14 partners from 11 countries.  The University of Gothenburg is one of the partners. Some of the aims of the project are for example examining how we can re-think and develop the ways to communicate and mediate archaeology towards the various audiences, how to explore and amplify the relationship between archaeology and artistic creation and how to promote new ways of teaching archaeological knowledge and practices. In this presentation I will give you some updates of what has happened so far and of future activities and plans.

Why contract archaeology needs new approaches to public archaeology and what they may involve

Anders Högberg, Centre for Applied Heritage, Linnaeus University, Kalmar, Sweden

Sweden has one of the oldest national heritage regulations in Europe. It defines the role of contract archaeology as part of the state’s heritage practice. In a recent revision of the law, archaeological outreach was made an integral part of contract archaeology. According to the Swedish National Heritage board interpreting the law, outreach is the popularisation of science, i.e. education about archaeology and the past. This serves as the starting point for my paper. Discussing outreach in Swedish contract archaeology, I will discuss new approaches to public archaeology that go beyond education about the past. In doing so, I will challenge how society conventionally thinks about contract archaeology as part of the authorized heritage discourse. I argue that society needs to rethink expected outcomes from contract archaeology.

Contract archaeology’s societal impact and benefits in society

Clara Alfsdotter, Ulrika Söderström, Graduate School in Contract Archaeology, Linnaeus University, Kalmar Sweden

In 2015 Linnaeus University launched GRASCA, the Graduate School in Contract Archaeology. GRASCA is a joint venture of Linnaeus University, Museum Archaeology Southeast at Kalmar County Museum, the Contract Archaeology Unit at Bohusläns Museum, Västarvet Studio Västsvensk Konservering in Gothenburg, and the Contract Archaeology Unit at Jamtli Foundation, Östersund. The graduate school has a special focus on contract archaeology’s societal impact, particular concerning archaeology’s benefits in society. Starting from a presentation of three of the GRASCA PhD-projects we will discuss new approaches to public archaeology which might be generated from GRASCA.

1. One project investigates how public archaeology responds to the needs of schools and school education. The focus is on how archaeologists can improve the methods of mediation and facilitate a better understanding for archaeological material as a source of knowledge. This project also sets out to investigate and develop visual and tactile archaeo-didactics for audiences with special needs.
2. Focusing on archaeology and sustainability, the second project examines the use of cultural heritage, and more specifically archaeological knowledge from excavations, in contemporary planning projects and the impacts and implications it might have on achieving the sustainable development goals (SDGs) and urban sustainability in the future.
3. Today we know that historical consciousness plays a major role in forming identities in contemporary society and how societal values are built. The third research project investigates the role and the impact archaeology has and can have within this field. Drawing on osteological analyses and social studies, using the human remains from the unique archaeological site of Sandby borg as a case study, the project challenge existing views of a homogenous cultural history and essentialist origin theories.

From the presentation of these research projects, we will address questions on the changing roles of public archaeology in society, especially new approaches that allow public archaeology to meet ambitions that go beyond education about the past. Which structures or principles are needed to govern collaborations between public archaeology and its many partners? In what way does the practice of public archaeology challenge and redefine the discipline of archaeology in society?

9:45 Applied Heritage and Strategic Management

Session organized by Charlotte Gustafsson, the Regional Council of Kalmar County & Carolina Jonsson Malm, Kalmar County Museum/Linnaeus University

It is widely known that culture and cultural heritage can enrich people’s lives and contribute to economic growth and social development. However, the traditional emphasis on collecting and conservation within the cultural heritage sector means that society has not yet realized the full potential of cultural heritage. Applied heritage is about exploring how cultural heritage can be used in a way that strengthens democracy and civil society. It is an area where theoretical expertise is combined with practical knowledge to find new methods, ideas and opportunities. The key is cross-sectoral cooperation where researchers and cultural heritage professionals work with different sectors of society, such as health, education, social services, tourism, entrepreneurs, etc., for shared value. This session invites papers that discuss, analyze and evaluate approaches, methodologies, strategies and the impact of applied cultural heritage in society.

Title and abstract to be confirmed

Annina Ylikoski, President Bridging Ages, Finland

How to manage demographic challenges to achieve social cohesion

Charlotte Gustafsson, The Regional Council of Kalmar County, Sweden
Ebbe Westergren, Kalmar County Museum, Sweden

How can cultural heritage organisations, with their expertise and methods, become actors in the local and regional management of the present and future society? How can cultural heritage organisations collaborate with local and regional authorities, on both the political and practical level? How to move from meetings and discussions to a shared vision, a course of action, and concrete strategic work? How to formulate goals and objectives? 

This presentation will explore the cultural heritage organisations' potential to act as a driving force for social development in the local community. The collaboration between Kalmar County Museum and The Regional Council of Kalmar County will serve as the starting point for the discussion. Kalmar County is affected by several demographic challenges, including an aging population, an out-migration of young educated people (mainly women), and an increased influx of immigrants. How can Kalmar County turn these challenges to opportunities, and achieve integration and social cohesion? What have Kalmar County Museum and The Regional Council of Kalmar County done so far?

South Africa boldly welcoming herself to the global centres of applied heritage

Jabulani Phelago, Freedom park, South Africa, Chair person Bridging ages South Africa

The purpose of the presentation is to share with conference participants “Strategic work concerning Bridging Ages South Africa” and stimulate a participative response which should benefit South Africa, other countries and the Bridging Ages International. The presentation will in its introduction locate South Africa’s applied heritage condition in its historical and present context. It is therefore significant for the presentation to lay bare the heritage data situation in South Africa – statistics covering the number of museums, schools, higher education institutions offering heritage programs and teacher development programs, etc. are significant for engaging with applied heritage challenges and opportunities. How South Africa have responded to the Time Travel method opportunities is significant to share with conference participants. However, the final aim is to stimulate engagement with the South African situation and enrich the present strategic approach by South Africa which is characterized by multifaceted participation which involves government in its entirety, heritage institutions, non-governmental organizations, higher education institutions, individuals, etc. 

Bridging Ages Kenya: Unity in diversity

Mildred Atieno Ayere, Maseno University, Kenya

This year, in mid-February, almost one hundred individuals from Maseno University, Kenyatta University, TICAH, Marsabit County, Kisumu Municipality schools and institutions together with officials from four different museums under the National Museum of Kenya came together in a historic meeting in Kisumu City. The unifying factor for all these people was their connections to Bridging Ages International and their interest in the Times Travel method, and the purpose of the meeting was a two days’ workshop deliberating on the launch of Bridging Ages Kenya. Key outcomes of the workshop were election of interim officials of Bridging Ages Kenya and a resolve to explore how to integrate the Times Travel method in the school curriculum. The representatives from the university agreed to sit together and develop a course on the Times Travel method that can be offered to teachers as a means of making learning more learner centred. Times Travel was seen as a powerful tool that could be used to unify the 42 ethnic communities in Kenya as they reflect on their national historical events. 

This presentation is focused on the birth of Bridging Ages Kenya; how it came to being, the discussions, the organisation, and the aims and objectives. 

Applied heritage research –​ a fruitful collaboration between university and museum to promote regional development

Carolina Jonsson Malm, Kalmar county museum and Linneaus University, Sweden 

Kalmar County Museum and Linnaeus University have created a three-year-project on applied cultural heritage research that will be completed in the end of 2016. The project seeks to explore how research and academic activity can be integrated in the cultural heritage management at museums and other cultural heritage organisations, and how to combine theory with practical knowledge to find new research questions, develop new methods and improve existing. One of the project's objectives is to increase the awareness of cultural heritage and cultural heritage research, and how to use this as a resource in social development and community building. 

This presentation will summarize the project's activities and results, and initiate a discussion on the use and benefits of intregating research with practical work, but also call to attention some of the difficulties in bringing together a universitiy and a museum in a joint project.

NCK –​ a research and development centre working for a sustainable and inclusive society

Maria Domeij Lundborg, The Nordic Centre of Heritage Learning and Creativity, Sweden

NCK is a Nordic-Baltic research and development centre, owned by museums and archives in the Nordic and Baltic countries. The aim of NCK is to approach, better understand and enhance learning through cultural heritage and cultural heritage practices. Cultural heritage is seen as a valuable resource that can facilitate the development of new competences and contribute towards a sustainable and inclusive society. NCK seeks to:
- connect practice, policy, and research, 
- conduct research on cultural heritage and lifelong learning,
- engage in method and policy development in cooperation with cultural heritage institutions, universities and regions in the Nordic and Baltic countries and Europe.

This presentation will provide examples of NCK's work, ongoing projects and national and international collaborations, and address the issue of inclusion and social cohesion through lifelong learning.

9:45 Workshop Social circus

Workshop Social circus
This workshop will start with a presentation followed by praktical activities

Pilvi Kuitu and Riku Finland

Is a violin more precious than a small boy?  Who is entitled to be seen the society?

What is social cohesion in our everyday life and how do we learn to encounter people with different background and abilities?

Art and culture creates unique environment to been seen and heard. Finnish national and international work in inclusive art services aims to develop new methods for participation of people with special needs. Culture and art based methods are superior to support communal work with for example disable children and young people and refugees. The speech will present examples of social cohesion through PiiPoos long term work with families with disable children as well as circus projects in refugee centres.

Social circus - workshop
Social circus activities are based on the diversity of circus arts, the understanding of the various needs of the target groups and the unique atmosphere of circus. The content is allways tailored around participants resources, abilities and interests.

In this social circus workshop you will have a possibility to try out different circus skills (for example juggling and clowning) and have an idea of social circus workshop model. After this workshop you have a better understanding why social circus is so effective method.


 

12:15 Lunch

13:30 Parallell sessions:

13:30 Public Archaeology in Society: New approaches, new partners, new challenges, cont.

Memories in motion: archaeology, sense of place and local policies

Clara Masriera-Esquerra, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain

From the perspective of local policies, the instrumental value of heritage as a mean of creating material identity icons of towns and cities has been challenged, in the last years, by the concept of sense of place. This shift is related to a notion of the city as a diverse community of citizens sharing a place to live in, instead of a place that exists independently of its inhabitants.

In this presentation I want to show, with the help of different examples, how these new local policies tend to reinforce the experiential dimension of the city, as material environment, in order to promote both attachment and cohesive cultural practices, replacing the idea of static heritage by the concept of memories in motion. In this scenario archaeologists and historians who work together with local administrators have not only to abandon their own definitions of heritage, but to explore new roles and strategies of relation with the human and material urban landscape. 

Public archaeology in Exile: Cultural Heritage and the Conflict in Syria

James Symonds and Nour A. Munawar, University of Amsterdam, Netherlands

"Who owns the past?" This question features in almost every cultural heritage course and is most often taken to relate to the archaeology of indigenous peoples and the repatriation of cultural property or human remains. The question may also be posed, however, in relation to the cultural heritage of conflict zones. This paper explores the issues that arise from the destruction of archaeological sites in the on-going war in Syria. The destruction of internationally renowned sites such as Palmyra has prompted a massive political and academic reaction in the west and many schemes have been devised to assist with the reconstruction of heritage sites in the post-conflict era. We take a different approach, and explore how archaeologists can help those Syrians who have fled the conflict and are now living in exile. Is it possible, for example, to re-purpose archaeological remains that were appropriated to serve nationalism causes in the European past, i.e., can the collections held within European museums be used to foster a sense of cultural identity and pride among the victims of warfare in Syria? And can these collections - which were assembled by former colonial powers -change the attitudes of contemporary Europeans to displaced peoples and incoming refugees? Finally, how may social media be used to create a vibrant and sustainable public archaeology among the global community of Syrians in exile?

Archaeology and the pursuit of touristic development in Greece

Nena Galanidou, University of Crete, and Despoina Nazou, University of the Aegean, Greece

This paper addresses the public’s engagement in Greece with its archaeological heritage, with a special focus on the effects of how the stimulus of tourism affects this relationship. Tourism is a dynamic phenomenon within the context of which local societies may radically reshape their perspectives on the past, on memory and on history. Within such an environment new traditions and local myths are invented, myths that relate to the biography of a place and are reproduced within daily discourse. They have consequences both for the locals initially engaged in their creation and for the tourists later in their consumption. This paper reports on ethnographic research embedded within a larger archaeological project to explore the themes articulated by the Meganisi inhabitants in response to the presence of a scientific team bursting with energy and motivation to do field-work in their small and fairly isolated island within the Inner Ionian Sea Archipelago. It documents the processes through which the ‘herit-isation’ of the new archaeological discoveries took place.

Situated in the stunning scenery of the blue Ionian waters, between Lefkas and the west part of the Greek mainland, in recent years Meganisi has witnessed a shift in its economic activity, becoming heavily reliant on tourism. Between 2010 and 2013 archaeological research conducted on Meganisi and its satellite islands and islets brought to light numerous sites and finds. The archaeological finds unveiled stirred up much discussion and debate over their potential as a new resource for touristic development, but also as a threat to the same. The local people had to get past their own initial fears and the political tensions generated by the new heritage coming to light. While proud of it, they expressed concerns about its implications for future growth in tourism. Our research sheds light on the ways such development and its main stakeholders – the business people, citizens and local authorities – are intertwined with archaeology in the production of a historical perception of a place by its inhabitants.

Ancient theatres and the “DIAZOMA” association: Bridging cultural heritage with modern society and economy in Greece

Konstantinos Boletis, Greek Ministry of Culture and “DIAZOMA”, Athens, Greece

This paper addresses a special category of ancient Cultural Heritage – namely the theatres, and the ways they interact with modern society and economy, through the agency of the citizens’ association “DIAZOMA”. From the 19th century on the ancient theatres and their kindred monuments have formed a distinct category of antiquities in need of protection. Modern intervention to restore the original form and use  is currently considered as the right approach in their management. When their state of preservation has permitted, theatres can support new purposes, ones evoking, even if with certain differences, the spirit of their initial function. Apart from their specialized use, the theatre’s archetypal and characteristic form differentiated them from other types of ancient buildings. Unlike other surviving or excavated ancient ruins, theatres are immediately recognizable by the public for what they are. These essential properties have incited scientific, social and political interest in the study, preservation and potential incorporation of ancient theatres into modern life.

Established in 2008, “DIAZOMA” is a non-profit Greek organization: it seeks to protect and enhance ancient places of performance and integrate them into modern life. The “DIAZOMA” initiative has in a very short space of time accomplished a wide range of achievements. These range from enhancing citizens’ awareness and engagement, to supporting technical studies for the rescue, excavation, restoration and revival of the Greek and Roman theaters, whilst also advancing models for strategic planning to integrate solutions for sustainable development in the spheres of cultural and tourist-related activities. “DIAZOMA” has managed to create synergies with the Greek public and private sectors. Thus it has raised funding for the protection of ancient theatres, by combining European funds with resources from national and local authorities, sponsors, universities, non-governmental organizations and citizens. Running a campaign for each theatre under the overarching motto “Adopt an Ancient Theatre”, “DIAZOMA” also opens bank accounts (“money boxes”) for each ancient place of performance, where local authorities and ordinary citizens can help with the fundraising for any particular theatre they are interested in. New strategies for cultural, tourist and economic development have been designed and are at various levels of implementation: these include cultural and touristic itineraries and archaeological parks, set up for the ancient theatres in selected regions in Greece. Prior to the inception of “DIAZOMA”, comparable campaigns of work had been achieved in only 12 ancient theatres and odeia in Greece. To date, though, thanks to close cooperation and synergies promoted by “DIAZOMA”, various projects are under way in 50 ancient theatres and odeia, while new bids concerning more projects on ancient theatres are in the final stage of preparation. The level and intensity of restoration activities in ancient theaters during the last years in Greece has been positive and very encouraging; the technical interventions developed have proven often to be both exemplary and pioneering.

Contemporary action and future heritage – some thoughts on social sustainability in a migration period

Per Lekberg, Kalmar County Museum and Linnaeus University, Sweden

”What we do today echoes in eternity”, says Russell Crowes general Maximus in the epic movie ”Gladiator”. While eternity might not matter to a discussant of heritage, the future should matter indeed. The ideals, choices and actions of my great grandfather and his generation in the beginning of the 20th century certainly matters in society today. What we identify today as heritage has been shaped, formed and changed through human actions in the past, deliberate or not. This goes for material culture, but also for the thought structures and ideologies that contribute when humans build, reform, defend and try to sustain social ideas and contracts in modern societies. These thought structures form as concrete a heritage as material culture. Building upon memory as well as theories of the future, they are intimately linked with the interpretation and use of material heritage and they are continuously at work in human contemporary action for present or future societal benefits. Thus, in times of change, heritage studies must acknowledge the power of thinking ahead – what actions today will shape a future heritage that advances social sustainability in a society where the grandchildren of today’s citizens and refugees have the joint responsibility of building, reforming and defending a democratic society. 

13:30 Unexpected Learning Synergies: Exploring the Benefits of Historic Environment Education

Applied heritage, education and time travel methodology: an intervention in conflict resolutions in Kenya.

Mary N. Nasibi. Kenyatta University, Nairobi, Kenya

Conflict resolution has been a recurring theme in Kenyan history which dates back to the period before the British rule 1895 - 1963. The British organized expeditions in their British East Africa protectorate to bring peace among various communities. Many of these were inter-ethnic conflicts. These clashes persisted during the entire colonial rule.  Even when Kenya attained independence in 1963,  the problem persisted among communities who have continually sought their community identities. The conflicts have been influenced by social, economic and political factors such ethnicity, land, cattle, regional environment and political transition. The worst of these conflicts occurred during the   2007 multiparty elections when over a thousand people lost their lives and thousands were displaced. This presentation is   based on insights from a wider project which examines the interventions used so far and their effects; and makes an effort to frame and consolidate elements of the interventions with lessons and best practices.  It goes further to look at how historical environment can be harnessed to address the issues of peace. How can people from diverse communities with their fears and suspicions be brought together to address what ails them? What is the place of women, children in these interventions? The school through education is presented as a place of nurturing the children and the youth for peace initiatives. The leaders and society of tomorrow must be made to understand the need of co-existence and enhancement of social cohesion.  Dialogue and collaboration among stake holders have to be embraced for societal survival and development of local capacities.

PROBLEM SOLVING THROUGH TIME TRAVEL METHOD: LESSONS FROM MATHEMATICS IN A HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT,KU-LU PROJECT 2011-2016

Dr. Marguerite Miheso Khakasa ( PhD) Department of Educational communication and technology, School of Education, Kenyatta University, Kenya

Problem solving is the essence and the main reason that drives education. School curriculum aims at using different leaning points to support the youth to solve problems they will encounter in life through understanding and practise. Life is about problem solving, and for this reason Mathematics subject takes the central position in any school curriculum. The subject is used to bridge different aspects of life such social, intellectual, spiritual or political. Most problems that occur and have been solved by past generations and in our life time form the foundation for preparing future problem solvers. It is the responsibility of the present generation to solve problems handed over by past generations and to prepare others to continue in this quest.Time Travel method revisits the past solutions, affords opportunity for present day applications of known solution skills and helps to prepare the youth for informed and expected future encounter. In this presentation, lessons from Mathematics in Historic environment shares how this method works and its immediate impact on learners at the school level using two unrelated subjects, History and Mathematics. This Time Travel method works as a throwback mirror that adds meaningful learning of Mathematics for ALL students. The article is based on an exploratory study carried out in both Sweden and Kenya through the collaboration of Linnaeus University, Kalmar museum , Kenya Nationals museums and Kenyatta University from 2011- 2016. The lessons shared here are hoped to provide alternative ways to resolve issues( social, political, intellectual and spiritual) through collaboration of the most unlikely components. The article posits that the only way to solve a problem is to consider bringing to the same working table the most unlikely central players in the conflict such as History and Mathematics in the project, Mathematics in Historic environment.

Role Played by Local History of a Community in Promoting Social Cohesion. Case of Sobantu Secondary School and Sobantu Township.

Thandeka Sibiya teacher at Sobantu Secondary School, South Africa

This paper seeks to explore various ways of teaching learners (students) content for different subjects. I work with learners who do different subjects, from History, Commerce, and Geography to Science. One of the most important ways of teaching I found effective is to allow learners to research the history of Sobantu from various angles, from environmental, political, religious and economic. There is a myriad of topics that learners find themselves researching. This paper also seeks to show that schools need to embrace the heritage that is possessed by the communities in which they exist. For example, as a teacher at Sobantu Secondary School, I found it important to establish relations between the school and the community, this is imperative because most of the content we needed and need for research is obtainable from community members. Some of them are even invited to school for interviews. Social Cohesion is not something unachievable, because I have learnt that you have to start where you are and establish relations by involving people, that way, some of the challenges to peace and stability will be minimal. Currently in South Africa, during service delivery protests, residents and community members attack and destroy school. I however believe that if the community is involved, they will begin the important role that the school plays and will think twice before they vandalise and destroy a school. Therefore, this paper will focus on the role of local history in the creation of social cohesion between schools and communities. Time Travel as one of the effective methods of teaching oral history, will be instrumental in unearthing the local history, to also assist the learners fully understand beyond theory the local history of Sobantu, for curriculum purposes, however, again, the community including local government, and religious organisation will share views and space when executing Time Travel, further fostering social cohesion.

Armenians in Venice: The benefits of heritage preservation

Jon Hunner, New Mexico State University, USA; Cecile Franchetti, Italy; Padre Gevorg, priest of the Armenian Church in Venice.

“Armenians in Venice:  The benefits of heritage preservation” is a panel that will highlight a Time Travel in October 2015 in Venice that focused on the Armenian experience in that city in 1870. We went back to the first day of school that year at the Collegio Armenia with sixty 14 and 15 year old students from two local schools. In the presentation, we will show how we prepared the students to Time Travel, including visits to the Venice State Archives and the Armenian monastery on the island of San Lorenzo, a practicum on how to Time Travel, and then the Time Travel itself. The panel’s participants will be Cécile Franchetti, Padre Gevorg from the Armenian Church in Venice, and Jon Hunner. We will describe the many steps that lead up to the Time Travel and the Time Travel itself. We also will discuss how students who undertook this event were able to gain better appreciation and knowledge about Armenians in general and those in Venice in particular.

13:30 Social Cohesion through Participation and Cultural Exchange

Museum’s role in local community: case of Pastariņš museum, branch of Tukums museum

Agrita Ozola, Tukums museum, Latvia

This museum is branch of Tukums museum. It is for children and adolescents who wish to learn about the everyday life of the popular literary character Pastariņš, who was created by the author Ernests Birznieks-Upītis (1871-1960) in commemoration of his own childhood. In order to prepare Time travel to the period of the writers childhood, Tukums museum organised a complex research programme, including ethno-archaelogy.

Archaeological, ethnographic and historical sources have made it possible to precisely identify the traditional layout of single family farms and to look at the history of the Bisnieki farm from the early 17th century to the middle of the 20th century.  In cooperation with the Institute of Latvian History at the University of Latvia and local people as well as local NGO the Tukums museum got very rich material for programmes and exhibitions. Local inhabitants shared their stories, knowledge and wisdom, they don’t hesitated to teach their everyday.

As a result of that complex work a new Time Travel was created to year 1896. Participants in this programme take on the roles of people who lived at the farm, learning practical and traditional working skills and learning about the life wisdom of the Latvian people. 

Pastariņš museum is highly valued by local people, and it is also one of popular tourist destination. Recipe of bread developed by local people in the museum now even has been used in local business company which provides very popular restaurant with bread. All that means that museum has become an important actor for local development.

Cultural encounters with immigrants

Seija Punnonen, Österbottens förbund, Finland

Europe is in the middle of its largest international migration in its history and also Finland is getting its share of it. Only last year Finland received nine times more refugees compared to the previous year. This situation sets challenges for the integration of the new refugees, and the immigrants already living in the country.

One classical way to integrate immigrants is sport. It´s easy to get strangers to play football with each other, even if they wouldn´t have common language. But how about culture? Can culture be a way to integrate and collect local people and immigrants together? Which themes we local people want to bring up of our cultural heritage? What can we learn from the foreign people on return?

This paper shall present the project called Multikult-forum, aiming to integrate immigrants into new society through culture and history. In the Ostrobothnia region, there are three municipalities, Vaasa, Pietarsaari and Korsnäs, participating in a pilot program. At these municipalities, working groups has been formed and the members of the groups represent local culture related institutions and cultural heritage organizations. The groups strive to produce integrating activity through culture and history by building networks and new ways to co-operate between the parties.

Young people's participation in society and how Kumulus approach this.

Alexandra Winberg, Kumulus, Sweden

A large part of our Swedish cultural heritage is about openness and democratic opportunities for all, including the youth. Youth are often excluded them democratic dialogue, a long-term problem we have to work with to create social sustainability, and a democratic society. Democracy is one of the pillars of our society and we must work actively with awareness of opportunities, rights and obligations concerning democracy and how we include young people in our democratic society. Working with young people is about creating long-term conscious individuals who are part of society and democracy now and in the future.

15:30 Break, tea/coffee

16:00 Plenary session, discussions

17:00 End of sessions

17:30 Bridging Ages board meeting

Pub night

9:00 Excursion

Excursion info