Oulu Löyly

AvoinGLAM and partners are hosting a think & do fest in Oulu in June 2026 as part of the Oulu2026 – European Capital of Culture programme with pre-events inviting language communities and Wikimedia organizations in the area. The theme of the festive year is cultural climate change and we embrace it with open culture! The event comprises a 3-day think & do workshop and 2 days of pre-event meetups.

What?

In a climate marked by technological disruption, geopolitical tension, and shifting economic landscapes, open sharing of culture and cultural heritage must adapt to a rapidly changing ecosystem.

At Oulu Löyly, we invite you to explore with us the hinterlands of open culture, the small archives and community efforts barely visible online, and seek responses to questions such as:

What is left out of our shared memory? What are all the hopes and obstacles of small archive projects? Can we both protect culture and share it openly? How can we appreciate culture in general and public domain culture in particular as public good?

Themes and topics

How?

The methods we can use are talking, designing, coding, strategizing, creating, visualizing and drafting, among others.

If you ever cared for a piece of living heritage or a collection of vulnerable memorabilia, come with us to play, think, and create.

We are inviting representatives of local and indigenous cultures, open culture advocates, policymakers, researchers, cultural professionals, technologists and creative practitioners from the Nordic and circumpolar regions, Europe and beyond to set the agenda forward.

Join

Oulu Löyly is organized by AvoinGLAM, Wikimedia Finland, Wikimedia Eesti‎ and Open Knowledge Finland in partnership with Wikimedia Sverige, Wikimedia Norge and Wikitongues.

✱ Pronounced /ˈou̯lu ˈløy̯ly/ – or you can combine the English "Ouh-loo lo-ewl-lew" and make it smooth and snappy!