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EALA BLOG : Hello : Hei

Welcome to the EALA project ‘blog post’ page. Some of our explorations and OER resources based around our EALA project learning are shared here with links to available materials and downloads. This is a learning space for the EALA team and so we may look to revise, amand and improved our materials and OER elements – learning as we go – so you may see some things (posts, images and other materials) change over time!

EALA LOGO by Bingrui Sui CC-BY-2.0 at Flickr

Why EALA ? – Our EALA project has taken its title – and its logo – from the swan. The swan represents Finland’s national bird and our University of Lapland partner as well as the symbolic connection the swan holds in many cultures of ‘the North’ as symbolic of mythical creatures, transformation, and other worlds, not least here in Scotland. In the Gaelic language of Scotland the word for swan is eala. As part of the original idea for the project we wished to select an image that represented ideas of partnership, connection, mobility and the migration of knowledge and understanding. We also wanted to celebrate the ecocultures of place while we explored our Arctic and near Arctic contexts. The UWS (University of the West of Scotland) Ayr Campus is located on the River Ayr and we see swans regularly in the rivers, coasts and lochs nearby. One of the EALA participants is international student Bingrui Sui studying MA Creative Media Practice at UWS who worked to develop our original first draft design to the final EALA logo you can see above. You can read about Bingrui’s reflection on the creation of this resource here.

This EALA learning exchange project (2022-2023) explored Scotland’s links to the Arctic through an OER focus for learning and creativity exchange. OER – open education resource – is a process and ambition to create, curate and circulate materials and artifacts such as images, texts and documents for wider access and sharing. EALA as a title also offers us a simple summary of the project’s frame of reference: Engagement, Alliance and Learning for Arts. Please click on the menu for more information and we look forward to sharing our artefacts and reflections with you.

Vuotso

Living in the Landscape (LILA 2024) Methods Summer School at Vuotso, Lapland. Students from across the ASAD network worked on tasks in the landscape focusing on “green energy” across several sites including here at Vuotso, Lapland.

Working together for #UWS #EalaCreative Scotland in LILA 2024 Methods Summer School

LILA 2024 Vuotso Methods Summer School Lapland

Scotland’s archives and collections: Arctic @ NLS

See a link here to a short film from the National Library of Scotland on some of the Arctic resources available in the library’s collection.

“A recorded online webinar on Scotland and the Arctic, presented by Curator Paula Williams. The far north holds a fascination for many, luring people towards the Pole for adventure and commerce. Situated on the main sea route to the north outside the Arctic Circle, Scotland has been a leaping-off point for explorers for centuries. But the dialogue flows both ways: the Arctic reaches out to us on our mountain tops and in our flora and fauna.”
Scotland and the Arctic: A conversation Talk Given 2 July 2020

Our events programme presents speakers who talk on a diverse variety of topics and often includes lively discussion with our live audience. The views contained in these event recordings are solely those of the speakers and audience at the event and do not necessarily reflect those of the National Library of Scotland.

All recordings are © National Library of Scotland.

See also: Polar Ephemera : a link to resources at National Library of Scotland

“Salmon Lords”

See blog on John Francis Campbell’s Scandinavian Journals by Christian Drury, a NLS Placement student working with the Mountaineering & Polar Collections, NLS.

Salmon in Sápmi: John Francis Campbell’s Scandinavian Journals

Relate North: Call for Contributions

Relate North: New Genre Arctic Art Education beyond Borders

Editors: Timo Jokela, Maria Huhmarniemi & Kathryn Burnett

Deadline for synopsis Monday 29th January 2024: for further information see here.

Relate North is an English language, peer-reviewed publication dedicated to exploring and sharing contemporary practices in arts-based research and art-based knowledge exchange in the fields of arts, design and visual culture education across the North and Arctic. The term ‘art’ should be interpreted broadly to include, for example, design, crafts, indigenous making, media and product or service design. Proposals for chapters are sought for this book, which will focus on the general theme of ‘New Genre Arctic Art Education beyond Borders’.

We are interested in submissions that investigate art and art education practices and discuss the potential of contemporary arts for the Arctic region. The socio- and ecocultural challenges facing the Arctic region call for innovative responses. The concept of new genre Arctic art refers to Indigenous and other artistic expressions, interventions, and new forms of crafts and cultural heritage that share interests in the Arctic’s material culture and handcraft skills. In addition, we seek present- and future-oriented chapters on, for example, art and art and culture education related to the new genre Arctic art. We especially welcome your visions and insights that challenge the notion of ‘borders’.

For further information on abstract/synopsis submission and requirements see here.

Arctic Connections Fund @Arctic Assembly 2023.

EALA: ENGAGEMENT, ALLIANCE AND LEARNING FOR ARTS project led by Kathryn A Burnett (UWS) and Timo Jokela (ULapland) was included in the Scottish Government Arctic Connections Framework Fund Scottish Government’s Platform Stand Presentation Arctic Circle Assembly in Reykjavik, Iceland (19^th – 21^st October 2023).

EALA Slide for Scottish Government Arctic Assembly Team Scotland Stand Arctic Connections Fund 2022-23 including Landscape Taskworking Collage image CC BY-SA 2.0 by EalaCreative at Flickr.

Put the flags out! Finding Bunting!

Illustration page showing *Lapland Bunting* (left) and Snow Bunting (right)
Image: *n341_w1150* *Birds of Britain*
*London,A. and C. Black,1907.*[etc.]1883-85. by Biodiversity Heritage Library.
Public Domain at Flickr

May the 4th (#StarWars Day) 🙂 is usually a day for all things intergalatic but we also like to find about things nearer home, as well as those species that have a shared heritage across the northern regions.

At EalaCreative we are exploring how to work with archives and digital collections as resources for learning and creative inspiration. This image of two ‘bunting’ birds -Snow and Lapland – is from the Biodiversity Heritage Library available online. For some info on Scottish birds see for example the page posted here by The Scottish Ornithologists’ Club (SOC) on snow bunting sightings in Scotland.

In the Cairngorms – a mountainous tundra climate plateau region in Scotland – a number of ‘Arctic’ and -sub-Arctic species are found including the snow bunting. See here for more information on the Norsk Polarinsk resource site where you can listen to the song of the Snow Bunting, Svalbard’s only ‘songbird’.

“The snow bunting is the most northerly passerine bird in the world. It breeds in a circumpolar range, south to Scotland and Iceland, and it is a common breeder in suitable habitats in northern Scandinavia, Greenland, Svalbard, arctic parts of Russia and the northerly parts of North America.”

See also a like below for a Wildlife Photography video available on YouTube of Snow Bunting in the Cairngorms.

“904 views 6 May 2019 4th May Scottish highlands, a couple of days snow brought the Buntings down from the high tops of their breeding grounds, They are a scarce breeding species in the UK, in Scotland around 60 pairs, in winter numbers can be 12,000 birds up and the UK”. “Wildlife Photography Snow Buntings highlands of Scotland”. “

Eala explores “The Swan of Tuonela”

Tuonela – the realm of the dead – is the setting for the Kavela’s mythic hero Lemminkäinen‘s fate. Read more here about this famous Finnish tone poem by Sibelius The Swan of Tunela.

You can read much more on this epic tale as the inspiration for Jean Sibelius, – Finland’s famous music composer – composition – the Lemminkäinen Suite – here.

The Kalevala – Finland’s national ‘story epic’ and work by artist Akseli Gallen-Kallela will be forever entwined.

“Koru-Kalevala, The Illustrated Kalevala- sketches for Väinämöinen’s visit in Tuonela D-GKM-3837.tif” by Akseli Gallen-Kallela. This file is shared by The Gallen-Kallela Museum. CC0 1.0.

You can read more about these links between ‘ancient stories’ and ‘modern times’ in an essay by Michael Hunt (2019), for the exhibition The Kalavala – In Other Words.

Elsewhere you can read more about “an alternative Kalavela” and research by Juha Pentikäinen, Professor of Modern Ethography at the University of Lapland. Juha Pentikäinen‘s research includes a focus on the deeper shamanic roots of the Kalavela’s folktales. See also here a discussion on the Kalavela’s philosophy, its story roots as ‘deep knowledge’ and links to folk healing.

Tuonela

“Tuonela is described as being at the northernmost part of the world but is sectioned apart from the world of the living by a great divide. In the divide flows the dark river of Tuonela. The river is wild, and the dead can be seen trying to swim across it. The dead must cross the river, either by a thread bridge, swimming, or taking a boat piloted by the daughter of Tuoni.^[1] The river is guarded by a black swan that sings death spells.” Source https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuonela

The Finnish word for swan is joutsen. The word derives from jousi, the Finnish word for arrow.

Celtic Swans and Children of Lir in the Cairngorm National Park

Scottish and Irish mythology – a ‘Celtic mythology’ also features swans and here is a link to the famous Finnish story The Swan of Tuonela (and also a mention of the Irish story ‘The Children of Lir‘) as told by “The Irish in Finland”.

Finally, find a storytelling link here to the Scottish links to this folktale of the swan Children of Lir that includes a link to the history of Insh Church (the chapel of the swans) as told by Scottish musician Hamish Napier. The children turned to swans – as it is told here – flew between Ireland and Scotland for nine hundred years before eventually – on being turned back to their human form – they crumble to dust. Find some more information on Insh Church at the Am Baile Highland archive collections site. The church is near Loch Insh in Badenoch, located in the Cairngorm National Park in Scotland’s highlands. Nearby to the church is Insh Marshes a national nature reserve rich with ecology and wildlife as”one of the most important wetland areas in Europe”.

Broken ice on Loch Insh, Cairngorms by Masa Sakano (CC BY-SA 2.0) at Flickr

Seeing clearly … distilling ideas and practice

We like to point out that the EalaCreative team might well need to explore a little more the links to botanicals such as juniper! Berries for knowledge is an ancient theme we might discuss elsewhere!

Both our Arctic and Scottish creative industries and cultural economies include long histories and shared connections across brewing and distilling. These sectors offer key shared experiences and exchange of knowledge production in regard of biodiversity, design and quality with the Arctic and circumpolar regions. Biodiversity, sustainability, creativity and social wellbeing are just some of the aspects that offer conections for research and creative practice in regard of our food and drink cultures and economies across Scotland and the Arctic.

Reading Resources:

See especially here on Arctic biodiversity.

See also Relate North publication on Art and Design for Sustainability and Education (2018) (Editors T. Jokela & G. Coutts).

Juniper and Scots Pine Research … #EalaCreative Scotland Arctic Distilled –
creative practice and landscape taskscape “EALA” gin made with collected pine needles from the Trossachs forest, Scotland and show poured into a ‘circumpolar’ glass, a gift to visiting delegates to a previous Relate North ASAD thematic event held at ULapland.
Image by EalaCreative (CC-BY-SA)

In Finland, for example, although only one species of juniper grows here it is widespread. Juniper is traditionally used in various containers, centrepieces and utility articles as well as medicine. The smoke of juniper and the berries are also used as seasoning. Source: https://puuproffa.fi/

“Foraging in the Forest” by Olly F is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0. at Open Verse

Looking West – Looking North

The EALA project is a OER connections project based at the University of the West of Scotland (UWS) and working in creative practice and arts pedagogy partnership with the University of Lapland. The EALA project was funded by the Scottish Government’s Arctic Connections Fund 2022-2023 to explore and expand Scottish and Arctic creative contexts and commons.

EalaCreative – the working group of participants – have used the symbol of the swan – jousten (finnish); eala (scots gaelic) – as a theme for our cultural, environmental and socio-ecological pedegogy focus.

In Finland the swan holds a very special symbolism for the nation and this Tuonela swan myth is explored by the EALA creative project team here.

We have looked west, south and east in our focus on looking north! This post speaks a little more to looking west and the islands of the Outer and Inner Hebrides.

Mute Swans in Flight by Caroline Legg (CC-BY-2.0) at Flickr

Energy “at the margins” – powercuts! Across the islands of Scotland’s west swans (most usually Mute Swans) are often seen flying high overhead as they migrate but so too they might fly low and occasionally power would be lost (“powercut“) as they might fly into the electricity cables that hung from the wooden poles across the islands’ moorland. In Uist in the Hebrides to the west of Scotland, for example, it might occasionally happen that a “downed” swan might be found dazed and slightly disorientated in the narrow water course channels of the intricate loch and peatland bogs and the land drainage systems. Having hit the wire the swan might rest and recover in these low lying bogs and ditches.

Elsewhere across the cultural history of Scotland and other landscapes and nations the swan is a symbol of life long partnership. Images of swans paired together consumed with their ritual return nesting habitats are common across digital resources and informed our EALA logo design.

Archives and Wildlife Science

In exploring the open accessible resources available online (creative commons) for images of swans at South Uist at Loch Bee we discovered the work of Dr Mary Gillham, a wildlife scientist. An archive project offers her collection of photographs for others to view and re-use and includes many images taken in Scotland, but also in regions such as Antartica:

“Dr Mary Gillham MBE (1921 – 2013) was a pioneering naturalist and prolific wildlife author, who took an active interest in the environment for over 80 years. In 1959 Mary was a member of the first Antarctic expedition to include women scientists,” Dr Mary Gillham Archive Project

Below is just one image from Dr Gillingham’s archive – an image of Loch Bee on South Uist, Outer Hebrides. Although rather difficult to see the swans in the distance (small white dots on the dark blue water) the image offers a sense of the area’s assets low lying natural ecology of the loch, alongside its working landscape that includes crofting (cattle are seen grazing), estate management (loch fishing), and the ‘open skies’ of the islands north Atlantic ‘periphery’ situation for the nearby defence missile testing site (the”rocket range”) Range Hebrides. A view of a rusting oil drum can be seen lying in the peat moorland bog in the foreground.

Image : Mute swans over west half of Loch Bee (Bi) South Uist, *South Uist Moor. MT* (Outer Hebrides Scotland). Courtesy of Dr Mary Gilliham Archive Project (CC-BY-2.0) at Flickr.

Arctic Flavours: berry good!

Cloudberry ground, Flå, Norway by Thor Edvardson (CC-BY-NC-ND -2.0) at Flickr

“The bright Northern summer ripens a luscious harvest of berries in the forests and bogs every year, which anyone who spends time in nature can benefit from. Even a relatively poor crop will yield approximately 100 kg, or 20 buckets, of wild berries per person in Finland. Approximately 50 varieties of wild berries grow in Finland, of which 37 are edible. Of these, around 20 varieties are suitable for picking and consumption. The best known and commercially most valuable berries are lingonberries, crowberries, bilberries, cloudberries, raspberries, cranberries and sea buckthorn.”

Source: Arctic Flavours Association/ Arktiset Aromit ry https://www.arktisetaromit.fi/en/berries/

Watch a video here on the Nordic Diet that speaks of fish, rapeseed oil, oats and berries. Berries are considered to be particularly special – especially linked with various health claims and the maintaining of good health but also potentially impacting on a whole range of illness and disease.

Watch a video here on Finland’s forest and swamp assets and the importance of the berries resource available there.