(Image: Jonathan Moorhouse)
Time: 11.10.2023 (a pre-conference dinner will be arranged 10.10.2023)
Venue: The Finnish Literature Society SKS, Hallituskatu 1, Helsinki
Nordic Network for Queer History Archives and Activities (Nnaqh) invites archivists, museum workers, queer and history scholars, activists and other people interested in queer history to a seminar on queer archives/ queering archives and on creating trust in collecting practices. How do we address the biases and silences of archival practices and how do we enable trust and safety in archives from a queer perspective? And how well does the queer archival collections reflect the diversity of queer voices and history of the Nordic and Baltic countries? How can we decolonize archival practices?
The seminar in Helsinki is arranged by the Nordic network for queer history archives and activities and its local partner, Friends of Queer History, in cooperation with the Finnish Literature Society SKS and The Finnish Labour Archive. The seminar will be streamed and the premises are accessible.
The seminar is free of charge, but the pre-conference dinner (10.10) as well as the lunch (11.10) is at one’s own expense. The pre-conference dinner will be arranged in an accessible and not too expensive restaurant with vegan meal options. The prize of the dinner may vary between 20-50 euros and the lunch between 12-15 euros. Depending on the other costs of the seminar the network might be able to cover some of the costs for the lunch.
Registration to the seminar
Please register to the seminar Trusting Queer Archives through the following link by September 30th 2023: https://forms.gle/wcsNkqurW5oKAs4S8
NB! If you apply for reimbursements the DL for reimbursement is August 31st (see below for more information).
Reimbursement
Nnaqh has a small budget for reimbursing the travel expenses of participants from the Nordic countries and the Baltic states. However, Nnaqh cannot reimburse state financed organizations or participants from such institutions. We will prioritize reimbursement of participants from NGOs or alike with small or no funding. Moreover, we will prioritize NGOs or alike with no funds for participating in conferences, knowledge exchanges, or networking, etc. When Nnaqh allocates reimbursement, intersectional perspectives and geographical distribution will be considered.
If you are interested in getting your trip reimbursed please send us a motivation letter including a budget for travel costs and accommodation by August 31st to the following address nnaqh@qrab.org and enter Reimbursement in the subject line.
Please write a short motivation (500 words) on why you would like to participate in the open archive summit in Helsinki. Describe how the participation in the Nordic network for queer history activities and archives might benefit queer history activism and archives in your region. Explain in short how you plan to use the experiences from-, and the knowledge gained at the summit. Include a short description of your previous experience of archive or cultural heritage work, and/or of queer or LGBT+ archive activities; and/or of queer or LGBT+ history activities in general. Do also include your current connections to queer or LGBT+ organizations or activism or to archives or cultural heritage institutions.
Accessibility at seminar
The accessible entrance to the SKS main building is around the corner from the main entrance, at Mariankatu. Press the button saying “Neuvonta” or call the number +358-(0)40 534 8933, and you will get assistance. You can access the conference hall with an elevator (the door is heavy, if needed call for assistance +358-(0)40 534 8933). There is an accessible toilet at the bottom floor that can be reached with the elevator. There is an induction loop in the conference hall. Assisting dogs are welcome.
The language of the conference is English. If needed we will arrange Speech-to-text-interpretation. Let us know about your needs upon registration, September 30th the latest! If you have any questions about the accessibility of the program or the seminar venue please contact rita.paqvalen@gmail.com.
We will inform you about the accessibility of the guided tours and the restaurant later.
Info in Finnish: https://www.finlit.fi/fi/yhteystiedot/esteettomyys#.ZFi4Pc5ByUl
About Nordic network for queer history archives and activities (NnAQH)
The network is a project by QRAB – Queerrörelsens Arkiv och Bibliotek (Sweden), Friends of Queer History (Finland) and The Norwegian Queer Archive Skeivt Arkiv (Norway). The aim of this project is to create a network of queer history archives and activities in the Nordic and Baltic countries and to promote the sharing of experience and knowledge and to explore opportunities for partnership, infrastructure solutions, and financial conditions.
The building of the network is partly financed by Nordic LGBTI Fund/ NIKK.
Updates to the conference program can be found here:
https://sateenkaarihistoria.fi/event/trusting-queer-archives/
More info on speakers and last minute changes also on the FB-page:
https://www.facebook.com/events/1013939609735479/?ref=newsfeed
Program
Tuesday 10.10.2023
17.30-19.00 Queer guided tours (details will be published in September)
19.00-21.00 Network dinner together with people that has already arrived
(on your own expense, location will be published in Autumn)
Wednesday 11.10.2023: Trusting queer archives
Location: The Finnish Literature Society, SKS, Hallituskatu 1, Helsinki
Streaming link: Will be published on the conference page in Autumn and sent to all the participants.
9.00-9.15 Katri Kivilaakso (the Finnish Literature Society, SKS), Rita Paqvalén (Friends of Queer History) & Pia Laskar (QRAB): Welcome & opening of the seminar
9.15-9.20 Mandi Markkanen (producer, Friends of Queer History): Safer Space Guidelines
9.20-9.40 Pia Laskar: Why the need for Nordic network for queer history archives and activities?
9.40-10.00 Coffee/tea & mingle
Part I: Queering the Finnish archival institutions
10.00-10.20 Tuula Juvonen (Friends of Queer History): A brief history of queering archives in Finland
10.20-10.30 Iris Olavinen (The Finnish Labour Archive): LGBTQ collections in The Finnish Labour Archives
10.30-10.40 Katri Kivilaakso (SKS): Insights on Archiving and Queer Archival Collections of the Finnish Literature Society
10.40-10.50 Susanne Österlund-Pötzsch (SLS): Documenting minorities in the minority at the Archives of The Society of Swedish Literature in Finland
10.50-11.30 Panel discussion with the speakers and audience led by Runar Jordåen
11.30-11.50 Emil Uuttu: Dramaturgical work with archival fragments, historiography and researcher interviews in the play Ihana tytär Erika – Huomioita nimestä (Engl. Lovely Daughter Erika – Observations on the Name)
11.50-13.00 Lunch (on your own expense)
Part II: Decolonizing queer archival practices
13.00-13.40 Wisam Elfadl & TBC: On collecting Afro-Nordic queer history
13.40-14.00 Norena Shopland: From prohibition to promotion
14.00-14.30 Discussion with the speakers and audience led by Rita Paqvalén
14.30-15.00 Coffee
Part III: Queering archives in the Baltics
15.00-15.20 Augustas Čičelis & Viktorija Kolbešnikova: išgirsti: Lithuanian Queer Archive
15.20-15.40 Taavi Koppel: Archiving Estonian Queer History
15.40-16.10 Discussion with the speakers and audience led by Tuula Juvonen
16.10-16.30 End discussion led by Pia Laskar