When eXpression gathered people from its own industry council, the municipality, the university and the business community for a dialogue meeting, the conversation landed on a clear ambition: Umeå must continue to be a creative and attractive city, but we must not be too nice or too soft. A little more raw and even more authentic must be okay.
During an intense afternoon on 17 March, we talked about the future, creativity and what really makes Umeå unique in an international perspective.
Representatives from the municipality, the university, local associations and the business community were among those present. The aim was to initiate a closer dialogue between key stakeholders, who together shape and spread the image of Umeå.
Umeå is considered by many to be a feminist capital, but the participants also wanted to emphasise the city's 'do-it-yourself' mentality and historical ability to take cultural risks. At the same time, there was a desire to take things up a notch:
It must not become too safe and boring. Umeå needs to be a little dirtier and more dangerous," said Sebastian Ulonska Viklands, co-founder of Umeå kallbad and Båten.
The collective voices also felt that Umeå needs to dare to cross-fertilise different industries and subcultures even more. Despite the deep traditions of music, film and art, the infrastructure needs to keep up - not least to make room for new initiatives and medium-sized venues. Several examples were highlighted, from making the urban environment more playful to utilising the river as a natural meeting place.
What stands out about Umeå internationally? The city is known for its feminist background and DIY spirit, but I share the view that we must dare to take it even further. Continuing to support innovative projects with both courage and resources is crucial. Otherwise, we run the risk of stalling," said Anna Olofsson, Marketing Manager at Umeå Municipality.
The industry council also contributed with its views on the future, where Anna Lidström pointed to Umeå's unique association culture:
The fact that Umeå has such a strong popular movement tradition is unique. There is a genuine "we help each other" feeling here, which gives room to test new ideas and quickly move from thought to action. But we also need to keep pushing each other and not get comfortable, meant Anna Lidström.
A taste for further dialogue and action
The meeting concluded with thoughts on how to take the ideas forward - everything from the possibilities of creating more film projects in the region to making it easier for creative talent to stay or move here. Several suggestions were made for concrete initiatives and continued co-operation between the municipality and the industry council.
The question that remains now is how Umeå can best build on both the security and the slightly dirtier, unadorned, that so many are calling for. What is clear is that the dialogue meeting was just the beginning, and that future meetings can hopefully bring us closer to a Umeå that dares and does even more.
Industry Council
In addition to the invited actors from Umeå, eXpression Umeå's industry council was also present - this year consisting of four key people who together cover important parts of the city's creative ecosystem. Anna Lidström represents textiles and fashion, Sara Sandström the art field, Ola Rune stands for design and architecture, and Mathias Dahlgren works in the restaurant and experience industry. Together they create dialogue, capture trends and provide strategic input to eXpression Umeå, with the goal of strengthening Umeå as an internationally attractive city for creative entrepreneurs.
