New soundscape project following the tracks and traditions of Soundscapes and Cultural Sustainability has started
Silence and Listening as Resources of Tourism Expertise in North Karelia
Soundscape
researchers’ project aims to develop the silence of North Karelia into a
tourism asset. The
scenic beauty and sparse population of the region offer good
opportunities to experience silence.
Silence does not mean a total lack of
sounds but a possibility to relax – alone or in a group.
The
project deals with the earlier presented entry about “the modern
wilderness” and creates more precise contents to it.
The idea of emphasising attraction,
well-being and aesthetic quality of the environment that is close to
nature now expands to practices in tourism business.
By examining the tourism business, the
project will explore the challenges and possibilities of preserving
the silence of different areas in North Karelia as well.
Especially consideration of silence and
soundscape, as well as active listening, can be used as concrete
tools in tourism by utilizing methods and experience of Soundscape
Studies.
The
project has a network of silence-based tourism, which now includes
approximately twenty companies from Ilomantsi, Joensuu, Lieksa,
Nurmes, and Valtimo area. The
project develops services, in which silence is a natural part of the
service, for tourism companies, entrepreneurs and local societies,
considering their individual starting points. During the year-long
preparations, many of the entrepreneurs in the project have already
been looking for new ways to develop contents of silence services.
Concrete ways of service are emphasised in
workshops that are run by experts.
The
aim of the project is still to start off the promotion of nature and
culture tourism in North Karelia on a good start, and thus to
increase the attraction of the area. The
aim is to improve and redevelop the contents of service businesses by
supporting immaterial services and livelihoods of the area.
Silence and experiences in an acoustic
environment cannot be given or sold as ready-made commodities.
It is, however, possible to offer services
and time in a special, nuanced, and silent environment instead.
This way, the project and North Karelia for
their part answer to the rising trends of “slow tourism” and
ecotourism.
The
project utilizes the knowledge of soundscape experts at the
University of Eastern Finland and their long experience in Cultural
and Soundscape Studies and in listening of acoustic elements of the
environment.
The
director of the project is Helmi Järviluoma-Mäkelä, an expert of
Soundscape Studies. The project manager is the designer of the
project, Noora Vikman, who has long been interested especially in the
phenomena of silent environment and its possibilities.
The
project also involves a group of postgraduates in Cultural Studies at
the University of Eastern Finland, who are interested in the acoustic
environment.
The
two-year project, in 2013-2014, is financed by the ELY Centre of
North Karelia (Centre
for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment)
Please contact and inform about related efforts around the world:
Dr.
Noora Vikman, noora.vikman@uef.fi
or Professor Helmi Järviluoma-Mäkelä, helmi.jarviluoma@uef.fi
