KAUSTINEN ICH ACADEMY

The Kaustinen ICH (Intangible Cultural Heritage) Academy is organised in Kaustinen, Finland, from 14 to 18 July 2026, in the unique context of the Kaustinen Folk Music Festival. The programme offers an opportunity for the participants to share and expand their knowledge of safeguarding intangible cultural heritage and traditions of music and dance. 

Founded in 1968, the Kaustinen Folk Music Festival is the largest folk music event in Finland and one of the most prominent in Europe, bringing together thousands of performers and tens of thousands of visitors annually. At its heart lies the vibrant local fiddle tradition, inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2021, making the festival an ideal setting for immersive ICH learning.

Lectures and seminars in the Kaustinen ICH Academy programme are free for all participants. Please note that tickets to the festival area must be purchased separately (exceptions: Nominated students from Erasmus BIP partner organisations will receive free entry to the Kaustinen Folk Music Festival).

Programme
A typical Kaustinen ICH Academy day consists of a lecture session from 10.00 to 11.30, participating in a (voluntary) workshop 11.30–13.00, a lecture session 14.00–15.00, and enjoying the festival programme for the rest of the day.

The final programme for the year 2026 will be published in May.

For Erasmus-partners:
The programme is organised as an ERASMUS+ BIP (Blended Intensive Project) in collaboration with a network of European partners, including University of Warsaw, Lund University, University of Tartu, and Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music.

The programme offers lectures, seminars, workshops, and participation in the festival’s dedicated ICH tent activities, all within a unique, practice-based learning environment. Students will engage directly with living heritage through performances, jam and dance sessions, and interactive workshops, highlighting grassroots methods of safeguarding and transmitting ICH.

See Kaustinen ICH Academy program 2025 for reference
See Kaustinen ICH Academy program 2024 for reference