The first SuMu (Sustainable Naturecultures and Multispecies Future) symposium will be held at the University of Lapland from 23 to 25 September, bringing together international researchers, artists and representatives of Indigenous peoples to reflect on the human-environment relationship and explore the possibilities offered by a multispecies future.

At the core of the event is the idea that nature and culture, humans and other species, form an inseparable whole in which reciprocity and coexistence are seen as prerequisites for life.

The symposium discussions will centre on three key themes: naturecultures in practice, multispecies knowing and Indigenous relational ontologies.

The event programme features internationally recognised keynote speakers, such as professor Gro Birgit Ween and assistant professor Ragnhild Nilsson, along with presentations ranging from scientific talks to artistic and creative outputs.

Some sessions will be held outdoors, allowing the participants to experience the discussions and performances as part of the surrounding nature.

The event provides a forum where experts and artists from different disciplines can work together to find new ways to understand and build the relationships between the human and more-than-human worlds at a time when climate change and ecological crises demand new ways of thinking and acting.

The symposium is organised by the University of Lapland’s research community Sustainable Naturecultures and Multispecies Future. In addition to the University of Lapland, the organisation of the event is supported by the Research Council of Finland and the DEATNU project.

See the detailed symposium programme here: SuMu Symposium website

Further information: sumusymposium@ulapland.fi