The Rievdan- project made its fourth trip to Vuohčču and Kárášjohka in March. The days were already longer, the light was bright – spring had arrived in Sápmi.
This time we started to work on stop motion animations, and we worked together with the 10th grade in Kárášjohka and 7th-9th grade in Vuohčču. We took a head start and held two online lessons for both Kárášjohka and Vuohčču before the actual workshops. During these lessons, students began working on the story and storyboard of their animations in small groups. The assignment was: what has changed in Vuohčču / Kárášjohka? Who or what is experiencing the change? The idea was to create a story about change and a character experiencing it. The online sessions went well, and all the groups had their stories and characters created for the workshop days.
Our first stop was in Vuohčču, where we continued working on the animations. We brought a big variety of materials, and students could choose what suited their animations and their stories best. It was interesting to see the different approaches: some used cardboard boxes and toy cars, others painted and drew different kinds of backgrounds and characters, and some used ready-made- objects as part of their animations. Every group got to try animation on ipads and we all gathered to watch the short test animations on the last day before our departure. We were all amazed by the results of the short test animations and very excited to see more next time.
We left Vuohčču on Wednesday afternoon, after our last animation workshop, and headed north to Kárášjohka. Luckily, the weather was clear and we were able to enjoy landscapes of Saariselkä, Lake Inari and the beautiful road to Karigasniemi that crosses breathtaking views of wilderness.
After a well deserved rest, the workshop day in Kárášjohka started early on Thursday morning. We arrived at Sámi Dáiddaguovddáš (SDG) with our animation materials a short while before the students, to prepare the workshop space. We started with the pupils by showing a few examples of animations created in different styles, techniques and materials. Once we got down to business — creating backgrounds and characters — the space was filled with energetic working, and the students were extremely productive. They had their animations almost finished within a few hours. Among the themes of change that were brought up were the Kárášjohka River, which has changed due to salmon overfishing and fishing bans, and the shorter winters caused by climate change.
Although remote connections enable a lot, it was especially nice to meet the students face to face and discuss issues that are close to their lives. It was interesting and touching to hear their thoughts on change, as well as their appreciation and love for their home and roots. Their open pride in their own rich culture was such an inspiration.
We cannot wait to see the results after the next workshops in May! The finished animations of the students from both Vuohčču and Kárášjohka will be exhibited in September in Sajos, Inari, in the grand exhibition of the Rievdan project.
– Project students Solja & Vilma from the University of Lapland.