Storytelling in Värmland – One of the pilot areas in CUPIDO
What is the background of your pilot?
The storytelling tradition is unique for Värmland and forms an essential part of its identity. Värmland had and still has many famous storytellers and this tradition is vivid in contemporary art forms like theatre, literature, music, dance, visual arts and arts & crafts, thanks to the many performing artists. Culture and cultural heritage play a major role and have become increasingly important in the discussions about the development of the region.
A wide range of cultural events and a growing visitor industry are based on Värmland's rich cultural landscape and its natural wealth. The cultural and creative industries contribute therefore to growth and regional development and they have the potential to do so even more.
For the tradition of storytelling to continue to be a strength, it requires that we show existing culture and cultural heritage in new forms, and that we create new forms of culture. Furthermore, it is important to make Värmland's rich and high-quality cultural life and storytelling tradition more well-known internationally. The ability to see visitors as co-creators in cultural life is likely to be an increasingly important success factor.
Who are working together in your pilot?
Four Swedish local CUPIDO partners work together: Värmland County Administrative Board, Region Värmland, Sunne Municipality and Rottneros Park. We are also working together with our CUPIDO partners to make our pilot transnational.
Where is your pilot located?
Rottneros Park are located in the municipality of Sunne, one-hour train travel north of the county’s residence city Karlstad. You’ll find the province of Värmland in the west of Sweden, bordering Norway. The county has 16 municipalities and around 279,300 inhabitants Värmland is a mainly rural, forest dense region with a declining population.
Describe what you are doing in your pilot?
In our pilot we focus on the modern storytelling, with a special focus on Rottneros Park. Through CUPIDO we want to create new jobs for young people, create new or strengthen existing businesses, show culture and cultural heritage with new digital techniques and make the storytelling tradition more known outside the region. It is about making cultural heritage sites accessible, using drone technology and Virtual and/or Augmented Reality as instruments for the sculpture park. These experiences will be implemented on the region as a whole.
The park is a unique sculpture park with an exciting combination of formal park areas, natural parkland and creative horticultural design. It is a place full of tales and stories, dreams and visions, all longing to be told.
What are the challenges?
The tradition of storytelling finds its roots in the landscape but is realized by the people that are living in it. One of the major challenges is to involve people in carrying the history further, is to make the local inhabitants proud of their culture heritage, and responsible for future development. Yet another challenge is to attract a younger generation and to find ways to connect tradition with interests and modern techniques.
Which stakeholders are involved?
In principle it is those who live and work in Värmland that we would like to engage in the development of our cultural assets. This covers the whole range form inhabitants to culture companies, from the young generation to decision makers or visitors. Each stakeholder group needs to be involved in its own way and requires specific ways of approach, for which a communication strategy is developed. Our stakeholders are also our CUPIDO partners.
What do you hope to achieve?
We hope that the CUPIDO project and our pilot Rottneros Park will inspire to even more growth and development in the region. We hope for new jobs for young people, new businesses and a strengthening of already existing companies. We hope to show culture and cultural heritage with new digital techniques and inspire others both in our own region and our CUPIDO partners.
We finally hope that CUPIDO will contribute to strengthen our storytelling tradition and make it even more well-known inside and outside Värmland.
Who will be affected by the result?
The Värmland partnership operates at local level, with strong links to the regional bodies, which will be able to implement the results in regional policies. Ultimately affected will be those who live in the beautiful Värmland countryside. Affected are of course those who will move to it, as we expect to open the eyes of the younger generation for a sustainable rural future.
Katarina Nordmark, Värmland County Administrative, Project Manager for the pilot in Värmland
Partners:
Värmland County Administrative Board