Culture in Nature KA2 - Final Conference Meeting

KA210-ADU - Small-scale partnerships in adult education (KA210-ADU)

Our Partnered KA210-ADU project Culture in Nature has reached its conclusion! After over a year of immersive learning across the forests of Latvia, the snowy landscapes of Finland and the limestone cliffs of Malta, our partner organizations gathered for the Final Conference Meeting.

This final chapter was not just about saying goodbye, it was about synthesizing our findings and revealing the results of the practical Final Workshop held in each partner country.

The Final Workshop: Testing our Developed Tool
Before the final conference, each country (Latvia, Finland and Malta) conducted a local workshop to put our newly developed Chart Tool to the test. This innovative training tool was designed to help organizers systematically plan cultural events in nature, covering everything from sustainability to safety.

The question was: Could we develop a tool to guide event creators into making innovative and culturally significant events? The answer was a resounding yes.

The Conference Meeting
At the final conference, the partners presented their unique "Culture in Nature" experiences, highlighting the fascinating contrasts that defined this project:

• The Latvian Group learned that compared to other cultures, they celebrate outdoors and amidst greenery. Their nature culture is lively and patriotic, best seen in the events surrounding their Independence Day (November 18th), where crowds gather at the Freedom Monument or for concerts. Nature is a place for the community to come together loudly and proudly.
• In contrast, the Finnish Group revealed a culture of quiet celebration. On their Independence Day (December 6th), nature is enjoyed in silence, candles are lit in windows and families celebrate at home. However, they also showed how nature is an active playground, like the art in Alpo Jaakola Statuary Park to the husky rides in Rovaniemi.
• The Maltese Group widened their definition of nature to include the sea, cliffs, and resilient plants. Their culture in nature is deeply tied to the harvest and history, showing how islanders have adapted festivities to an arid and warm environment.
  

Memorandum
To conclude the event, we as a team celebrated a signed memorandum to do our utmost to collaborate with future impactful projects like the one we successfully developed!

Final Thoughts
The project has successfully delivered an innovative training programme and a versatile Chart Tool that is now tried and tested. Whether one organises a silent art walk in the snow or a bustling harvest festival in the sun, this tool helps balance cultural expression with nature conservation.

We leave this project with a new understanding: while our landscapes and traditions differ, our responsibility to protect the nature we celebrate in is the same!

Project Partners:

• Association “Sadarbības Platforma”, Latvia (Coordinator)
• UNESCO Youth Association, Malta
• Loimaa Evangelical Folk High School, Finland

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.