FEST CONFERENCE 2014 – VASTERBOTTEN (Sweden)

FEST Conference Photo 2014

June 8-12, 2014

Västerbotten, Sweden

Västerbotten is known as Sweden?s storytelling region. It is almost the most northerly Swedish region and is larger than Denmark but with a population of only 250,000. This makes for good contact between the inhabitants and the municipality and, once the interest and value of oral storytelling had been established, the municipality saw its value to the region and became a willing funding partner. Skellefteå then adopted the title of Storytelling City, rather than to allow the title to go to the neighbouring city of Umeå, this year selected as European Capital of Culture.