Project meeting in Finland agenda
MINUTES OF MEETING
Sunday, May 8, 2016
Project participants arrived to Lappeenranta to the hotel Cumulus and Sokos Hotel Lappee.
Monday, May 9, 2016
(place: Adult Education Centre of South Karelia, address: Pohjolankatu 27, 53100 Lappeenranta)
Rector of the Adult Education Centre of South Karelia (EKKO), Mrs. Sanna Mäkelä welcomed all to Finland, Lappeenranta and EKKO. After that participants got an introduction to the Lappeenranta City by the Head of Marketing and Customer Service of Lappeenranta, Mrs. Mirka Rahman. She told shortly about Lappeenranta’s history and how the city is today: a border-city to Russia, which makes the place very unique. She also told about the green efforts and agenda of the city against the climate change. Then the participants got the basic information (brochures and maps) of Lappeenranta and also basic information and advertising stuff from EKKO. After that RAISE-project’s Coordinator Mrs. Rasa Marcinkevičienė monitored the RAISE-project’s progress and evaluated its outcomes and results and showed many pictures, which were taken during the whole project.
Then Regional Counsellor, M.A. & M.Sc. (B.A.) Mrs. Anu Talka from Regional Council of South Karelia gave a lecture on the theme ”How the South Karelian Culture Heritage of Finland has been taken into consideration in South Karelia’s development?” ─ sharing experiences and a little workshop on the theme “Building based on strengths”. She told about the making of the cultural strategy to the region. Mrs. Talka also asked the audience to tell about the strengths of their own countries. After that the chairman of The Association of the Artist-craftsmen of South Karelia Tarja Talonpoika told about the everyday life of their artists and about their gallery shop.
Then we had a lunch at the former vicarage of Lappeenranta, which has been renovated with EU-money. There the doughter of the restaurant’s owner told to the participants about the history of the place.
In the afternoon we first watched the digital stories of the project partners on the theme “Traditional festivals and culinary heritage”. We noticed again, that there is many similar festivals and also food in our countries. Then all the participants represented the presentations on the theme “Alike but different”. In those presentations every country had thought about the similarities and differences of the countries during the whole project e.g. from 2014 on. Then the Lithuanian people shared the project materials (leaflet and recommendations brochure plus CD). Then the project people had a coffee break during which the people freely discussed e.g. about the future possibilities of cooperation. Then project’s Coordinator Mrs. Rasa Marcinkevičienė instructed the project participants concerning the administrative work of the final report. We agreed that the materials should be sent to Lithuania by the 15.6.2016 latest by e-mail and post.
At the end of the first day project people visited the workshop Ideri of the lifestyle entrepreneurship/artist, Mrs. Heli Pukki.
Tuesday, May 10, 2016
On Tuesday the project participants visited Lappeenranta’s neighbor town called Imatra by bus. At first project partners went to see the lifestyle entrepreneur’s, Mrs. Tiina Kärkäs’ shop Virkkukoukkunen (http://www.virkkukoukkunen.net ), where one worker told us about the firm, which entrepreneur had been a pupil of EKKO’s handicraft teacher and now the firm manages very well.
After that we visited Imatra Valtionhotelli, and the head teacher of handicrafts of EKKO, Mrs. Tuija Näränen told to the project partners about the history of Valtionhotelli. Then all went to see the historical and very unique building from inside. After that all went to admire the famous Imatrankoski rapids and the Kruunupuisto Park and took some photos from there.
Then the bus drove the people back to the city of Lappeenranta and its historical fortress. There the project participants had first a visit to the local event café & restaurant Kehruuhuone situating at the fortress of Lappeenranta. There one of its owners, Mr. Petri Ukkola told the visitors about the place and its history including today’s situation as a local cultural event place. Then Mrs. Laura Hesso from the local office of The National Board of Antiquities of Finland told to the people about the Fortress of Lappeenranta, which is an active part of today's Lappeenranta. After that the project people visited the South Karelia Museum and saw e.g. the permanent exhibition, ”On the Border”, is about the location of Lappeenranta between East and West. Then the people visited the orthodox church of the fortress, which is Finland’s oldest Russian Orthodox Church and is dedicated to Virgin Mary and was completed in 1785. There the church’s worker told the people about the church and about orthodoxy in Finland. The last place to visit was the Täky Gallery, which is the shop and working space of The Association of the Artist-craftsmen of South Karelia. There the visitors heard about the place from Tarja Talonpoika, who is now the chairman of the association, and the people made some handicraft souvenir shopping.
At the evening the project people had a last dinner together and got the certifications of the visit in Finland and also some presents and other certifications concerning being an important part of the project altogether. We also sang and promised to keep in contact also in the future
Sunday, , May 11, 2016
Project partners left home after the breakfast.