From Workshop to Community: The Sharing Exhibition Event in Unjárga/Nesseby

In June 2026, the Saami Council, in cooperation with the RIFS research group “reIMAGINE Arctic Research”, organized and facilitated a sharing event/exhibition in the municipality of Unjárga/Nesseby in Sápmi (Norway). The event was part of the EU-Horizon BIRGEJUPMI project and the culmination of Work Package 4 “Local and global futures: young people’s visions of sustainable livelihoods and inclusive environmental decision-making”, which set out to investigate young people’s visions of their future in the face of climate change and its consequences in coastal municipalities in Sápmi.

This research sought to assess how climate change mitigation measures impact the lives of young people in coastal Finnmark, specifically examining the unique opportunities and challenges they present. To achieve this, we engaged participants in a co-creative process to design a multimodal exhibition that captures their visions for environmental decision-making and the future. This was facilitated through workshops held in Unjárga/Nesseby and Bearalváhkki/Berlevåg in close collaboration with local youth club directors and community representatives. These sessions provided a space for young people to reflect on their personal aspirations and their hopes for the future of their communities.

What emerged during the workshops was the importance of the relationship to the land, to the community, to traditions and to Sámi culture and practices as a way to live well. In times of uncertainty brought about by climate change and its consequences, the themes of identity, belonging, and well-being loomed large. Discussions also revolved around the participants’ desires to continue living in their communities and to leave in order to gain experience and access opportunities for personal and professional development. For more about this, see Exploring Young Peoples Future Visions – Fieldwork in Várjjat and Exploring Young Peoples visions of the future in Bearalváhkki/Berlevåg .

To reach a wider audience, the workshop findings were shared through two distinct formats. In Bearalváhkki/Berlevåg, a thematic illustration was installed at the local youth club to spark ongoing dialogue and reflection among young people (aged 11–18) about their visions and hopes for the future of their community. Meanwhile, in Unjárga/Nesseby, the insights were presented through a dedicated exhibition, showcasing a curated collection of mind maps, drawings, and photography created by the participants, alongside a graphic roll-up that captures the core themes of their discussions.

The participants at the two workshops were keen to share their conversations with a wider audience and asked the facilitators to create a photo collage using images they had collected, reflecting their relationships to the land, family, and community. In response, WP4 organized a sharing event where all the materials created during the workshop were presented to the community. In parallel, the local graphic design company Árvu was entrusted with creating an illustration that captured the key themes of the discussions.
 

The Sharing Exhibition Event

The Sharing Exhibition took place on 24 June 2026 at the library in Vuonnabahta/Varangerbotn in Unjárga. The event opened with an introduction to the BIRGEJUPMI project, its objectives, and the workshop process and methodology. This was followed by a presentation of the visual materials produced during the workshops, as well as the roll-up posters developed by Árvu.

The presentation was complemented by an open conversation between workshop facilitators and audience members, focusing on the workshop outcomes and the experiences and insights that emerged throughout the process, concluding with an open exchange on possible future directions of the project.

The sharing exhibition was designed to reflect the core aims of this work package: creating spaces for youth exchange, sharing outcomes with the wider community, and facilitating collective reflection through participatory and visual formats. Rather than functioning as a conventional exhibition focused on the one-way presentation of results, the event was structured as a space for dialogue, with visual materials serving as entry points for conversation and shared reflection. In line with the principles of Participatory Action-Based Research (PABR) and drawing on Bjerregaard’s concept of exhibition as research, knowledge-sharing was approached as a relational process that takes place through interaction and dialogue.

In this setting, participants became part of the conversation, helping to make sense of the workshop outcomes. We opted for organic discussion rather than formal feedback mechanisms, allowing for real-time reflection and meaningful exchange. Rather than simply showcasing workshop outputs, the exhibition facilitated community-wide dialogue.

To ensure the project's impact continues, the exhibition materials will remain within their respective communities, as agreed with our local partners. The Unjárga collection will be held at the municipal library, while the Bearalváhkki/Berlevåg roll-up will be displayed at the local youth club.