Mine to Mind brings together active mining communities across the Interreg Aurora area to explore how culture, participation, and shared identity can strengthen community wellbeing, visibility, and resilience. Together with local residents and organisations, we identify what people value about their community and transform those insights into cultural initiatives, shared experiences, and lasting local pride.
Photo from Pesiö, Finland.
Looking for project partners in Sweden
Humak University of Applied Sciences is preparing a regular-size project application for the Interreg Aurora 7 Sep – 7 Oct 2026 Call under Priority 3, Specific Objective 3.2: Culture and Sustainable Tourism. We are currently seeking project partners from active mining communities in Sweden.
Project idea: Mine to Mind
Mine to Mind supports active mining communities in strengthening and expressing their cultural identity while mining remains part of everyday life. Experiences from former mining communities, such as Outokumpu, demonstrate the value of documenting and strengthening local cultural identity before major industrial transitions take place.
The project is based on the idea that cultural identity should be nurtured alongside industrial activity, not only after it has ended.
Humak brings expertise in community pedagogy and cultural production. Rather than delivering ready-made cultural products, we work with local communities to identify their own strengths, stories, and aspirations, and to develop initiatives that reflect local needs and interests.
Activities may take many forms, including:
- travelling artist residencies documenting everyday life in mining communities
- community-led collections of local stories, memories, and cultural heritage
- locally designed cultural events and creative activities developed together with residents
Who we are looking for
Potential project partners include:
- municipalities and regional authorities in active mining communities
- museums, archives, and cultural heritage organisations
- mining companies interested in community engagement and employer branding
- tourism, culture, and creative sector organisations
Planned project activities
SPARK AND SEE
Participatory mapping of local identities, stories, values, and cultural resources in each partner community.
CO-CREATION IN MOTION
Community-led cultural initiatives designed, developed, and piloted together with local partners, potentially including a travelling artist residency.
ECHO AND EXTEND
Shared exhibitions, events, or other public outputs in each participating country, alongside a transferable methodology that can be applied in other mining communities across the Aurora region.
Background and links to previous initiatives
The project builds on Humak’s KUKA framework and draws inspiration from Kainuun Museo’s Otanmäki documentation project (2022), which highlighted the challenges of documenting mining heritage only after industrial activity has ended. The project also connects with the EMRIE project of the Regional Council of Kainuu and the Culture in Nature project.
Interested in joining?
We are currently building the partnership for the Interreg Aurora Call and would be happy to discuss the project idea with potential partners.
Contact Veera Tavila, +358 50 570 3888, veera.tavila@humak.fi
