11. Workshops in schools
The Equal Oulu2026 project organised several workshops in schools. Visual artist Anastasia Artemeva's diversity workshops ‘The stories within us’ and ‘Together in the world’ were organised for two different age groups. As part of anti-racism week 2024, schools were allowed to enroll and several classes from different schools in Oulu participated in the workshops.
In addition, the project organised ‘We are the culture’ workshops with the aim of increasing students' awareness of the European Capital of Culture year, what we mean by cultural climate change, and providing them with the opportunity to brainstorm and plan a cultural programme for their own school for 2026.
The stories within us - diversity workshop
The workshop is aimed at 6- to 9-year-olds and the workshop covers the following topics:
- Cultural competence, communication skills, encouragement of self-expression
- Practicing making a choice
- Expressing empathy
- Basic understanding of equality and promotion of anti-racism
Together in the world - diversity workshop
The workshop is aimed at 10- to 15-year-olds and covers the following topics:
- Cultural competence, communication skills, encouragement of self-expression
- Practicing making a choice
- Expressing empathy
- Basic understanding of equality and promotion of anti-racism
Sample of students' artwork created in the diversity workshops
We are the culture -workshops
The goal of the workshops was to increase students' awareness of the European Capital of Culture year, what we mean by cultural climate change, and to offer them the opportunity to brainstorm and plan a cultural programme for their own school for 2026.
Contact with schools
The implementation involved three schools and two different grades: Merikoski School (9th grade), Talvikangas School (4th grade) and Myllytulli School (9th grade). The initial contact took place through the principals, after which we were in direct contact with the teachers in the respective classes.
The three lesson workshop package was designed to last three lessons. We offered schools the option to organize the package either as three separate lessons or to hold one double lesson and later one separate lesson. All schools chose three separate hours.
The structure of the lessons was as follows:
1st lesson: Background, theory, starting group work
2nd lesson: Group work (teacher-led class)
3rd lesson: Finishing and presentation of group work
The package was prepared with the teacher in mind and therefore two of the lessons were at the forefront of the project. The teacher was left with a group work class for which there was ready-made support material, so it did not require any extra advance planning from the teacher.
Examples of students's cultural programme ideas
| Name of programme | Who makes it happen? | Who is the programme made for? | Programme content | Implementation | Objective |
| Winter Experience Path | During the school day, primary school students implement under the guidance of teachers | All who want to experience the path | A path that is edged with colored ice, some of which are ice lanterns. 5th graders selling mulled wine and gingerbread cookies on some days | Students can build a path together by bringing their own ice and lanterns to the path, the teachers light the candles. | The path brings color and light to the middle of winter. |
| Bouncy feeling | Teachers, volunteers | For students | The teachers would take the students to test various hobbies outside of school premises | Volunteers hold various hobby points, where they get to know different hobbies and their origins and cultures | Get people to move and find a hobby |
| Cooking ”tournament” of Oulu | 12 year olds and up, mixed groups | Adults cooking with young people, theme could be e.g. soups. Presenting, tasting and rating food. | |||
| Culture event of the school |
| Quiz: participants are asked cultural questions and they answer 10 questions on paper. | |||
| Christmas ice skating | School staff | 7th to 9th graders, each year class on its own day | Ice skating, christmas hits, warm juice and gingerbread cookies | Have fun and improve the team spirit between classes |
Equal Oulu2026 -project is co-founded by the European Union.