The initial events at the partner institutions of the project Community Co-Creation took place at the library in Húsavík on March 11. and 12. 2023. 

In September 2022, the Húsavík Library started a series of events taking place on Saturdays. The program consists of various swap markets, readings for children, language cafés, and lectures. Everyone with an idea, wanting to share knowledge and objects, or simply interested in meeting others is invited to make this happen at the space of the library. This invitation is expressed on a poster by the entrance of the library.

The use of the space and attendance of events are free, and so is the coffee. This series of events is experimental, and, according to the librarians behind this idea, part of implementing this project is trying to figure out what events are of most interest to the local community.

On March 11 2022, at 11 in the morning  Christin Irma Schröder gave a presentation on elimination communication, a way to raise children without diapers. A corner with a tent, blankets, and toys for children was set up for this occasion, in addition to the already existing children’s corners. All three persons present, Christin and the two attendants (one of them also in the role of the researcher) are German migrants in Iceland. We spent a good hour of this snowy and cold, but sunny Saturday morning listening, learning, and asking questions about elimination communication.

On March 12, the rap crew Reykjavíkurdætur facilitated a rap workshop for children at the library.

20 children registered for the course. After an introduction round, the children learned about the history and characteristics of rap music, and then wrote their own rap songs using mind maps.

In a final round, the children either performed their own rap song or one of the Reykjavíkurdætur performed the song texts they wrote for them. That the workshop was well-received by the participants was demonstrated by them already asking whether the rapper would come back the following Sunday.

Photographer and journalist Egill Bjarnason visually documented the rap course. The exhibition Samfélagið í hnotskurn a collaboration between the labour union Framsýn and the photographer has been on display at Safnahús (Museum’s House) in front of the entrance to the library since December 2022. The exhibition shows pictures of immigrants living in Húsavík, Kópasker og Raufarhöfn. The pictures are accompanied by direct quotes from interviews with the people being photographed.

We thank those who contributed to this exchange and shared their knowledge on how spaces of encounters are created in communities.
The images above were shot by Lara Hoffmann and Egill Bjarnason.
The project Community Co-Creation is supported by Bókasafnasjóður and Byggðarannsóknasjóður.

Further information
Lara Hoffmann
Project manager and researcher
laraw@unak.is