The Storytelling Network of Kronoberg
The Land-of-Legends programme organises a range of activities including a storytelling festival, activities in schools and academia, courses for future teachers and remedial activities. The programme links storytelling to other forms of living heritage, helping to revitalise and promote it as a living art.
Berättarnätet Kronoberg (The Storytelling Network of Kronoberg)
The Storytelling Network of Kronoberg is an NGO established in 1990. Since its inception we have been developing, testing, implementing, and supervising a growing range of activities that have succeeded in raising the visibility of storytelling, in revitalising its practice and in applying it in traditional and new venues.
This storytelling endeavour became so successful that, since 1999, the "Museum of Legends" has been operating as its active core. The organisation has been attracting steady support among the local population and authorities in contiguous municipalities.
The Museum is created to be an accessible environment where the visitor/tourist dares to ask: “please tell me a story!” The visitor can walk around the museum on their own or experience it together with a storytelling guide who brings the stories portrayed to life.
The organisation has initiated the Land-of-Legends programme, which organises a range of activities including a storytelling festival, activities in schools and academia, courses for future teachers and remedial activities. Over time, international contacts have been developed and several aspects of the programme have served as a model for activities elsewhere. The programme links storytelling to other forms of living heritage, helping to revitalise and promote it as a living art.
The organisation organises a range of activities for several profiles and age groups, ranging from toddlers to seniors suffering from dementia. The organisation’s work includes storytelling activities for children and youth in schools and academia. They hold courses for future teachers and remedial activities in storytelling together with Linnaeus University in Växjö. The organisation collects and tells stories with elderly people from different stages in their life etc. Additionally, the organisation has initiated and participated in several international and intercultural storytelling projects with other countries and organisations throughout the years, where the organisation’s work has served as a model for activities elsewhere.
In addition to the Museum of Legends, the organisation promotes the storytelling tradition among the local population and other people visiting Sagobygden. Some 80 legendary places linked to specific stories are documented and marked in Sagobygden, 40 of them by wooden story cabinets. You may find them by using a special map or geocaching. When you open a cabinet, you read local legends or listen to them using dedicated apps. All the stories, regardless of how you choose to read or listen to them, are available in three languages, Swedish, German and English. Every summer storytelling is regularly practised around the cabinets and the legendary places. All year long storytelling activities are organised throughout Sagobygden, to reinforce the place of storytelling in local society and for entertainment.
Intangible cultural heritage is created in the meeting between people, as well as in the meeting between man and nature, in other words between individuals and the ideas and values that they create. The stories are like a plaster that keeps us together, if removed, the social structure falls apart.
The organisation already has some experience in incorporating ICH into heritage tourism experiences, working with our Legendary places in Sagobygden. Local legends are highlighted, especially in the landscape. These places are always open, to anyone, no admission fee, they can be read and listened to anytime of the day. We experience they are highly appreciated, and locals are proud of living next to a legendary place.
Extensive work and studies have been made to build the organisation around the intangible cultural heritage in Sagobygden. The local community is highly involved in keeping the stories and storytelling alive in the region.
This pilot is realised by :
Leading partner: Berättarnätet Kronoberg
Associated partners:
Finnish Folk Music Institute, Linnaeus University, Lund University