[Kaupunkitutkimus] Nordic Urban Laboratory, Hanasaari 22 - 24.3.: Registration call, program & list of speakers

[Maunu Häyrynen]

Invitation to Nordic Urban Laboratory 22, 23, 24 March 2018
Hanasaari / Hanaholmen, Helsinki & Espoo - Finland

Registration is open

This is the third and final open Nordic gathering of cultural managers and cultural strategists, urbanists and city planners, architects, visual and performance artists, researchers and academics, students, community organisers, urban activists, environmentalists, and city councilors, to look at alternative culturally based urban strategies and practice. International keynotes include Charles Landry, Franco Bianchini, Lucy Bullivant, Nancy Duxbury and Dorte Skott-Hansen (more extensive list of speakers below). 
 
The Nordic Urban Lab takes on some of the vital issues of our urbanising world in the Nordic context and challenges preconceived methods of how we plan, build, facilitate and manage this society. 

With a transdisciplinary approach, with an agenda promoting a new role for artists as agents for creative communities, and by seeking to engage communities in the process of urban transformation, the Lab hopes to make a difference to existing practice, where cities are understood as complex and ever-changing social, cultural, psychological, material and communicative entities, which require to be approached as existing and as imagined realities.

We have invited experts who are both doers, teachers, thinkers, strategists, makers, storytellers, and builders to contribute to this uniquely competent forum of knowledge to inspire, inform and debate the many cases and the many experiences made under the very broad “cultural planning” headline, which covers a diverse menu of approaches. 

Themes of the Nordic Urban Lab will explore some of the key aspects of taking a cultural perspective on the city and on urban strategies and will include:
cultural mapping, from temporary to permanent, citizen led initiatives, activism and artivism, pop-up and performative architecture, place making, do-it-yourself urbanism, linking urban and cultural strategies, gaming and urbanism, microtopias for visioning, urban tool kits, engaging and empowering citizens, public space as the key, new directions for public art, informal and formal processes – and naturally sessions on the methodology of cultural planning.

We have invited some 40 key persons to engage and to kick-start discussions, but Nordic Urban Lab is structured to allow all participants to come with their experiences and their input. The programme is also clearly linked to many initiatives and issues present in Finland.

This intense two and a half day Laboratory based at the beautiful Hanasaari - Hanaholmen Cultural Centre will give an overview of both current European and Nordic trends and experience as well as focusing on issues, practices and cases in Finland.

One of the overall aims of the three Nordic Urban Labs (Copenhagen Metropolis Lab 2014 – Borås/Gothenburg 2016 – Helsinki 2018) is to develop a cultural planning tool kit, which can inform and support cities, communities, artists and cultural NGO’s to develop their own practice.

Eight keynotes will provide the fixed points of the Lab on all three days, and we will offer 9 thematic workshops/breakouts and 12 urban case studies from Nordic cities, so you can plan your own route in this urban maze. There will be pop-up events and excursions to museums, neighbourhoods and hubs to immerse you in other realities and to give you other perspectives.
 
Programme for 
Nordic Urban Laboratory 

 
Programme outline day 1  
9.00-21.00
Background, theory, strategy, experience and methods of cultural planning 

9.00-12.30 
Introduction and three international keynote presentations putting cultural planning into a context: Hans Kiib DK, Nancy Duxbury CA, Panu Lehtovuori, FI

12.30-13.30 Lunch  

13.30-14.30
Panel - Why Cultural Planning? with Finnish experts; Maunu Häyrynen, Jaana Simula, Maya Kovari & Erika Månsson

14.30-18.00 
9 breakout sessions with talks, panels, workshops of 75 mins. Each participant can select three. 
Key aspects and issues related to cultural planning:
cultural mapping; from citizen involvement to citizen led transformation; city strategies for connecting culture and urbanism; temporary actions to transform the permanent; creativity and communities; new perspective on public art and public space; designing creative processes and cultural planning processes; do-it-yourself urbanism; events, microtopias and cultural acupuncture; democratising cities; artist led transformation

Workshops will involve 1-3 experts: Mikko Särelä, Jonas Larsen/Bureau Detours, Trevor Davies/ Metropolis, David Pinder/Roskilde University, Peter Schultz Jørgensen, Kenneth Balfelt, Dorte Skot-Hansen, Free Riga, Ari Marteinsson, Jadwiga Charznska, Kelly Jerrott, Gitte Marling, Erika Månsson, Maija Faehnle

18.30-21.00
Visit to Espoo Contemporary Arts Museum with presentation of relevant art-based urban projects, panel discussion, and reception
  


Programme outline day 2
9.30-21.00
The Nordic Experience – artists, architects, planners and representatives from neighbourhoods, towns and cities present past and current best-practice from the Nordic and Baltic region 

09.30-10.30
Overview and reactions from Day 1 followed by keynote by Franco Bianchini: “From cultural planning to urban activism” 

10.30-13.00 & 15.30-16.30: 
9 breakouts with talks/workshops of 75 mins. Each participant can select three.
Projects from cities, towns and rural areas focusing on transformation processes via cultural planning approaches. We move from “why to do” to “how to do” and “how not to do”. We cover do-it-yourself, community driven, artist led and curated projects and look at alternative processes of urban transformation.

Workshops will involve 1-3 experts and facilitators: Anna Laitinen, Ari Marteinsson, Erika Månsson, Free Riga, Jonas Larsen, Gitte Marling, Jana Simula, Maija Kovari, Christian Pagh, Pikene På Broen, Matti Luci Arentz, Paivi Raivio, Daniel Bumann, Tinna Harlang, Jekaterina Lavrinec, Lia Ghilardi, Laurie Smith Vestæl

13.00-14.00 Lunch

14.00-15.15 
Panel - Cultural planning in the Finnish context as a potential strategic tool; Kirsi Kaunisharju, Susanne Tommila, Jaana Simula, Kimmo Aho, a.o.

15.30-16.45 Workshop 3

17.00-18.00 Keynote by Kelly Jerrott / Creative Cities Network, Canada: “The Canadian experience”

19.00-21.30
An informal evening programme at Hanaholmen with installations, video/film and featuring a major presentation by the artist collective Assemble (UK), winners of the Turner Prize 2015
 
Registration for 
Nordic Urban Laboratory 
 

Programme outline day 3
Focus on the perspective of the citizen with city trips, meetings and city walks with instant mappings. Programme 9.30-16.00.

9.30-11.00 at Hanaholmen
Keynote by Charles Landry with his new book “The Civic City in the Nomadic World” as the starting point.

Following this, the bus becomes our mobile lab with commentaries en route, visiting Alto University / Group X with a.o. Anssi Joutsinemi.
The second stop will be The Museum of Finnish Architecture for a panel with members of the new Finnish cultural planning network. Working lunch. 
The third stop will be a visit to the Kalasatama neighbourhood, where cultural planning is practiced, to meet artists, strategists, communities and activists including “Yes In My BackYard” 
The Nordic Urban Lab ends with a final reception and last panel session at a downtown location 15.00-16.00. 

Please note, this is a draft programme. Final programme will be issued on 1 Feb 2018.


Nordic Urban Lab has received funding from the Nordic Cultural Foundation.


Registration
Please register via the form:
https://goo.gl/forms/HfefFv6v7cyqck6Z2 

Final workshop/breakout programme 
and individual booking for your choice of workshops (three on Day 1 and three on Day 2) from 1 March – only for registered participants

Contact & Questions: Please contact Metropolis – Københavns Internationale Teater for further questions: info at kit.dk / (+45) 3315 1564 

Conference Fee: 
EUR 350 for professionals and EUR 150 for students and independent artists. This includes the full conference programme, documentation, lunches on all three days plus tea/coffee/snacks. 

Accommodation: Hanaholmen is offering accommodation for out of town participants at reduced rates. Rooms can be booked via email reception at hanaholmen.fi or phone +358 (0)9 435 020 with reference to Nordic Urban Lab. 
www.hanaholmen.fi 
 
Organisation: Metropolis by Københavns Internationale Teater. Metropolis is an artistic platform focusing on site-specific creation. Københavns Internationale Teater is the organisation behind Metropolis, an initiative that exits the theatre and enters the city to create art, life and debate with the city as the object, subject and frame - www.metropolis.dk
Nordic Urban Lab 2018 is organised in collaboration with Espoo, Pori, Sipoo Cultural Dpts., The University of Turku, Aalto University and Hanaholmen. 

Programme responsible: Trevor Davies (Metropolis) - td at kit.dk / (+45) 2940 4489 & Maunu Häyrynen (Uni. of Turku):

Maunu Häyrynen
Professor in Landscape Studies
University of Turku
mauhay at utu.fi
Mobile +358-40-864 9406

Selected invited speakers and contributors  
 
Assemble UK, artist collective, winner of Turner Prize 2015

Anne Laitinen FI, Sipoo Municipality, Dir. Culture

Antti Ahlava FI, Professor of Emergent Design, Vice President of Aalto University, Group X

Anssi Joutsiniemi FI, Adjunct Professor, Aalto University, Group X

Ari Marteinsson IS, USE creative community project 

Bureau Detours DK, leading space makers / do it yourself urbanisers collective from Aarhus

Charles Landry UK, author a,o. “The Creative City”, “Psychology and The City”, “The Civic City in a Nomadic World”

Christian Pagh DK, Urgent Agency, engaging children in the city of Billund (Lego)

David Pinder UK/DK, Professor of Urban Studies, Roskilde University

Dorte Skot-Hansen DK, Dir. Centre of Cultural Policy, author, author “The Stage as The City, The City as The Stage”

Erika Månsson SE, Swedish Cultural Planning Association, Växjö

Franco Bianchini UK, Prof. Culture and Planning, Dir. Culture, Place & Policy Institute, Hull Univ.

Free Riga LV, activism and empty buildings as a strategy

Gitte Marling DK, Prof. Aalborg University, author a.o. “Instant City”

Hans Kiib DK, Prof. Aalborg University, author a.o. “Performative Architecture”

Helka Kalliomäki FI, Senior Research Fellow, University of Turku
Jaana Simula FI, Director of Culture, Pori

Johanna Tuukkanen FI, Anti Festival Kuopio

Jekaterina Lavrinec LT, Prof. Urban Planning, Dir. Co-Urbanism Network

Jadwiga Charznska PO, Art. Dir. Laznia Arts Centre, Gdansk, Cities on the Edge Network

Kelly Jerrott CA, President, Creative Cities Network of Canada

Kenneth Balfelt DK, Visual artist /community strategist

Kirsi Kaunisharju FI, Councellor for Cultural Affairs, Ministry of Culture and Education

Laurie Smith Vestæl NO, Skien Kommun

Lia Ghilardi UK, cultural planner, Dir. Noema, Culture & Place Mapping

Linnabor Urban Lab ES, independent cultural & urbanist platform, Tallinn

Lucy Georgina Bullivant UK, editor of Urbanista, author a.o. “Responsive Environments”, “Re-coded Cities”, “Co-creating Urban Futures”, “Master Planning Futures”

Maija Kovari FI, Cities Are Ours, urban designer

Maunu Häyrynen FI, Professor in Landscape Studies, University of Turku

Mari Vaattovaara FI, Professor in Urban Geography, University of Helsinki (not confirmed)

Maija Faehnle & Pasi Mäenpää FI, Postdoctoral Researcher & Adjunct Professor, University of Helsinki, Civic activism as a Resource for the City

Matti Luci Arentz NO, Design og Arkitektur Institut Oslo

Mikko Särelä FI, Postdoctoral Researcher, Aalto University, ”More City to Helsinki” social media community

Nancy Duxbury PT/CA, Senior Researcher, University of Coimbra, author a.o. “Culture and Sustainability in European Cities”, “Cultural Mapping as Cultural Enquiry”

Päivi Raivio/D. Bumann FI, Artists, urban designers

Panu Lehtovuori FI, Professor of Planning Theory,  Tampere Uni. of Tech. “Towards Experiential Urbanism”

Peter Schultz Jørgensen DK, Urban Planner, author a.o. “Cities Breaking / Byer i Opbrud”

Pikene på Broen, Kirkenæs NO, cultural collective and agency 

Trevor Davies DK, Co-director Metropolis

Tinna Harling SE, Process leader, Tjörn Kommun

Susanna Tommila FI, Cultural Director, City of Espoo