#3 RISE UP Consortium Meeting: Tartu & Värska / October 2024
In October 2024, the RISE UP Consortium met up in Estonia for its third consortium meeting. Three exciting and productive days were filled with internal meetings about the project’s progress, as well as activities and meetings with local community members to learn more about the Seto language and culture.
Day 1 (08.10.)
The consortium meeting was kicked off on 08.10. in Tartu. There, we enjoyed a guided tour through the city, where we learned more about its architecture, culture, and the University of Tartu. Afterwards, we took the bus to embark on our journey to Setomaa. After a little over an hour, we arrived at Seto Tsäimaja in Värska, where we were greeted by a traditional Estonian lunch.
The afternoon was spent with in-depth meetings about the RISE UP work. All partners held presentations about recent progress in their work packages, and open questions were posed and discussed. After a highly productive meeting session, the day was closed with a performance of Seto Leelo by the Verska Naase choir, who sang, danced, and told us about the music, the dances and the traditional clothing.
Day 2 (09.10.)
On our second day in Värska, we spent the morning attending the at the time ongoing Seto Congress. Experiencing this event first-hand enabled us to get insights into current issues and debates in the community, as well as to experience cultural customs, such as the singing of the Seto hymn.
Back in the meeting room at Seto Tsäimaja, we recapped the congress and got further insights into the community members’ presentations and their standpoints. Furthermore, Meel Valk told us about a project she brought to life – a Seto kindergarten and community class, where children can get in touch with the Seto language from an early age onwards.
After another traditional lunch, we then proceeded with a second round of internal meetings. That day, our focus lied on the research aspects of RISE UP – we first talked about first results of our questionnaires, their analysis, and how to proceed with the data. This was followed by a discussion on ethics and data management in RISE UP.
In the evening, we visited Mikitamäe Youth Center, a place where young people can come to play, connect, and hang out. Through this visit, we were able to learn more about youth work in Setomaa, interests of local young people and offered initiatives.
Day 3 (10.10.)
Our last day in Setomaa started with a visit of the Seto institute, where we got a tour of the place and further insights into Seto literature, research and resources.
The rest of the day was spent at Taarka Tarõ in Obinitsa, where held more internal meetings on art events and upcoming creative initiatives which RISE UP is planning to host. We also talked about upcoming events and conferences where RISE UP will be represented.
In the evening, we visited Õie Sarv, who, together with her daughter, shared some fascinating insights into Seto clothing, including its history and handicrafts.
The next day, our bus took us back to Tartu, from where we parted ways again.
Overall, our meeting in Estonia was a great success – thank you to all our team members, and especially the organisers, for such a productive and enriching three days!
Author: Violeta Heinze
