*Title
Enlighted Boredom
November 20 – 26, 2023
University of Lapland

*Short synopsis

Late fall is the most boring season in the north, especially when leaves have fallen out and there is no snow (yet). Or is it? Perhaps it is a time to celebrate everything dark, wet, murky and weird. Light a few candles, turn on façade lightings in the city, set up winter lights for the house, dress up in a costume for a Halloween / all saints day party. Or enjoy the silence and emptiness, use boredom for good.

The workshop deals with boredom, emptiness, perception of time, darkness and as an opposite (en)lighting, excitement, activity and rush. We will be working in collaboration with the Media Art Production happening / event/ seminar / festival, parts of which will happen in the currently empty Rovaniemi main bus station / delivery terminal / basement. What happens to a space designed for waiting, if you can’t even wait there anymore? Let’s wake the bus station up from its hibernation.

nothing <> everything

stillness <> commotion

dark <> radiance

empty <> full

vacant<>occupied

organised <> chaotic

absence<>presence

waiting<>waiting

*Keywords

light, sound, built environment, nature, performance

*Practicalities (time, duration, number of participants, level/target group)

Level: intermediate/advanced (BA and MA)

Please bring with you warm clothing* and equipment you find necessary.

(*Rubber boots/ winter boots, woollen socks, hat, gloves, scarf, warm jacket, long underwear)

Accommodation options (link to 1 person on Monday – Sunday in Rovaniemi, adjust if needed):

https://www.airbnb.com/

https://www.booking.com/

*Application procedure

Students should send a short letter of motivation/a small portfolio of few selected works to tomi.knuutila@ulapland.fi and suvi.autio@ulapland.fi

*Deadline (for motivation letters/portfolios)

November 5, 2023

*Grant info

Check out and fill application from https://www.damanetwork.info/grant. Students (outside of Finland) participating in workshop will receive Nordplus travel grant 330 (660 from/to Iceland) and board 250 eur/week. Students get their grants directly from EKA´s international office. Teachers will get their grants through their own home institution. (it’s the matter of an income tax). More info from Sandra Mell: sandra.mell@artun.ee

*Pre-course task (if any)

Make notes of boredom in your daily life for one week. When and how does boredom occur? How do you spend that time? What are the common signs of your boredom? What circumstances phenomenon’s cause or enhance boredom? Are there any outcomes from the boredom? Prepare a short presentation (max 5min) of your study of boredom for the workshop in November. You can choose freely your method of presenting.

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*Information/contacts

Tomi Knuutila: tomi.knuutila@ulapland.fi, Suvi Autio: suvi.autio@ulapland.fi