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Creators Club for the Sea

A series of workshops inviting the citizens of Malmö to learn about the local marine environment of the Öresund strait. Part of the Bauhaus of the Sea Sails initiative

The Creators Sea for the Sea was a project led by me in which ten participants learnt about local species and waters of Malmö during six

sessions in late summer 2024.

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Malmö sits right by the narrow Öresund strait in which water from the Baltic sea and the Kattegatt is pushed together to create a unique, brackish aquatic environment. The strait is an important passageway for ship traffic and due to this, trawling has been forbidden in the strait since 1932, supporting a thriving ocean floor.

 

Learning about the species of the Öresund during the club sessions consisted of both factual information and insights reached through creative exercises. Each participants was equipt with a sketchbook and a set of pens. The participant's sketchbooks became creative logbooks of their learning curves. 

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The basis of the project was that information paired with creating would not only teach the participants, but also establish a personal connection to the species. This personal connection, or attachment, in it's turn creates a sense of care for the species, leading to more sustainable choices. â€‹

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The club was part of the Malmö-pilot of the Bauhaus of the Sea Sails project, which works to promotes ocean literacy in several participating cities.

Session I
The Herring / Fiskehoddorna

Fiskhoddorna are authentic fishing huts from the early 1900's in Malmö that have been preserved by the local museum. The city of Malmö came to be due to the abundance of herring in the Öresund, which made people flock to and settle by the coast, many families sustaining themselves on fishing. 

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During this first session we all familiarized ourselves with each other, and then 

went down to the fishing huts to learn about the significance of herring to Malmö's establishment and about the huts themselves.

 

We returned to the grass where we did a "herring visualization" to get into the herring’s head.

 

The group was tasked with drawing a body of water or an aquatic species from their hometown that has been significant for the region.

We concluded with a group discussion based on the drawings.

Session II
The Blue Mussel / Lernacken

The city of Malmö is connected to southern Europe via a bridge to Copenhagen, the Öresund bridge. The bridge was built in 1996 in the midst of much discussion about it's impending impact on the marine life of the Öresund.

 

Now, the bridge pillars have actually aided in supporting one of northern Europe's largest mussel banks, where blue mussels cleanse the polluted water of the Baltic on it's way to the Öresund. 

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During our second session we met under the Öresund bridge, where we learnt about the construction of the bridge, the blue mussel, and the mussel bank on the bridge pillars. 

 

The participants were then divided into two groups – mussels and oysters. In pairs, they role-played the invasive pacific oyster and the native blue mussel in conversation A group discussion on biodiversity and invasive species followed.

 

The participants then color matched a blue mussel or oyster shell to the sea or the sky and drew it. 

Session III
The European Eel / Pier 5

The eels is a mysterious, almost mythical creature. During this session, which took place by where you're most likely to spot an eel in Malmö, we learnt about the eels fascinating lifecycle of perilous migration, dormancy and rebirth.​

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Sitting on blankets in the grass, we close our eyes and listen to a ”story” about the European eel's life cycle. The participants are given an information sheet about a stage in the eel's life: larvae, glass eel, yellow eel, silver eel. They go off and draw, inspired by the stage of the eel's life.

 

A group discussion follows where they show their drawings. We talk about the "eel question” - the mystery of the eels reproduction, the threatened status of the eels and what eel fishing looks like now.

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Together we look for eelgrass, next week's species.

Session IV
Eelgrass / The South Warf Basin

The south warf basin in Malmö is situated in an area growing rapidly amidst the remnants of old industrial Malmö, of which the  Kockums ship warf is the most present and emblematic industry of the city. 

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The once deep and polluted basin trafficked with ships and industrial runoff has now ben cleaned up and made more shallow in the hopes of eelgrass meadows rooting there. 

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The group meets at the old Kockums foundry and explores the shipyard area while discussing Malmö’s industrial history and Kockums' key structures. The conversation covers the restoration of the Shipyard Basin and the potential for eelgrass meadows to grow there, as well as the historical uses of eelgrass.

 

Participants learn about the difference between seaweed and eelgrass and braid eelgrass to create bookmarks. They then go off to draw something old and something new they find, either in contrast or harmony, and later regroup for a discussion in the dry dock.

Session V
Bladder wrack / Ribban Beach

Bladder wrack is abundant and emblematic of the coastline of the local beach, Ribersborg beach. 

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It is a divisive species, as some locals avoid swimming at the beach completely due to its overflowing presence. 

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The group meets at the T-pier,  where I inform them about bladderwrack and seaweed in general. We walk out onto the pier to observe the bladderwrack below in the water. 

 

We learn the fascinating story of how bladderwrack reproduces with the tide. In pairs, participants are tasked with finding a washed-up rusk and determining whether it reproduces in the summer or fall, using an identification sheet provided. They return with their findings to the pier, where we hang up the rusks and examine the life within them, searching for reproductive tips to identify the season of reproduction.

 

As it starts to rain, instead of drawing the bladderwrack, we throw it back into the water and hurry home! The camera malfunctioned during this session. :(

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All photos here: Duncan Geere & Silvia Hüttner

Session VI
Closing session

We meet at the culture hub STPLN to go through our sessions together and what we've learnt.

 

The participants all fill out a template going over what they've taken with them from the sessions. The template asks questions such as what an impactful memory of the sea they have is, or what species they resonated with during the course of the Creators Club. ​

 

The participants pages are intended to be used in a coming continuation of the project. 

This initiative is part of the Bauhaus of the Seas Sails project
and funded by the European Union
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© Ellen Bjerborn, 2024

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