{"id":109,"date":"2025-03-17T10:20:37","date_gmt":"2025-03-17T08:20:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogi.eoppimispalvelut.fi\/ngaea\/?page_id=109"},"modified":"2025-03-17T10:21:20","modified_gmt":"2025-03-17T08:21:20","slug":"sustainability-portraits","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/blogi.eoppimispalvelut.fi\/ngaea\/sustainability-portraits\/","title":{"rendered":"Sustainability Portraits"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Creating Sustainability Portraits in the Arctic<\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Sustainability Portraits began as an ambitious journey, focussed on engaging children and young people in the sustainable development of the Arctic through art and aesthetic processes. The goal was clear: to foster dialogue, participation and research-based knowledge on how art and education can pave the way for a sustainable future in the North. During workshops, partners from Finland, Sweden, Norway and Greenland came together to use art as a medium to address the shared responsibility of ensuring sustainability in the Arctic. This involved stewardship of the planet, people, prosperity and partnerships. Each workshop culminated in a vibrant community event and exhibition, showcasing the participants\u2019 works locally and at universities, as well as in joint exhibitions in Ume\u00e5, Karasjok, Bod\u00f8 and Rovaniemi.

Together with young participants from partnership locations, we embarked on a mission to use art and aesthetic expressions to create environmental, social and cultural self-portraits. These sustainability portraits focused on expressing the \u2018environmental me\/us\u2019, the \u2018cultural me\/us\u2019, the \u2018social me\/us\u2019 and the
\u2018livelihood me\/us\u2019. The central question was this: who are we in this world, and how can we contribute to shaping the present and future of the Arctic?

This shared journey encouraged participants to reflect on their place in history, their locality, family, community and environment. Each participant created a self-portrait that highlighted connections to other people, the land, the sea, living nature and ultimately, the Arctic. It was a profound exploration of
identity and contributions to sustainability, emphasising our agencies as active and responsible members of our local communities and society. The key focus is on connectedness\u2014how young people position themselves within the larger picture and how they can impact their livelihoods and their social, cultural and environmental contexts. Through artistic expression, we forged innovative ways to engage with the material world and to create new imagery of life in the Arctic. The art project opened doors for all young
people to engage in expressions that were visual, engaging, playful and full of visions of a sustainable future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n