Kaskinen (Kaskö in Swedish) is a small wooden town over 200 years old, located on an island in the Ostrobothnia archipelago in Western Finland. Because of its remote location and past challenges, many people in the town have started to lose hope for the future. To change this, the town applied to become part of…
From 24–26 April 2025, the 16th Conference on Baltic Studies in Europe (CBSE), themed “Converging Paths: The Baltic Between East and West”, was held at the University of Cambridge in England, we the BSR Cultural Pearls project was presented. We were honoured to contribute to the roundtable “How Regional Institutions Enhance Societal Resilience in the Baltic…
Jointly organised community events play an important role in strengthening social life in the Peipsiääre region. Last Saturday, 26 April 2025 three vibrant events took place in the municipality – number of lakeside villages along Lake Peipus joined forces to host the Sibulatee Fish Café Day (KALApuhvetite päev), the Open Fishing Harbours Day, and the…
During the BSR Cultural Pearls 2025 title year the city of Helsingborg is about to pilot new forms of co-creation, focusing on children, young people, and the elderly. By incorporating the stories and experiences of local inhabitants in how they see their city, the aim is to build a sense of community and pride that…
On April 26, 2025 a Big Cleanup event will take place in Smiltene as part of the town’s Cultural and Social Resilience Action Plan as a BSR Cultural Pearl 2025. The event will bring together residents and provide a great opportunity for Latvian remigrants, those who have returned to live in Vidzeme in recent years—to…
The call for applications for the BSR Cultural Pearls 2026 title has officially closed and from 17 applicants 16 small and medium-sized municipalities will be stepping forward to be part of the appreciated programme. This strong turnout, nearly matching last year’s number of 18 applicants, reflects the growing recognition of the BSR Cultural Pearls title….
From 3 – 5 March the first BSR Cultural Pearls Network conference took place in Helsingborg, Sweden. The event brought together small and medium-sized cities in the Baltic Sea Region, which have been awarded the BSR Cultural Pearls title in 2024 and 2025, BSR Cultural Pearls project partners and RESCOM (Resilient Communities Learning Platform) project…
Join us for the first Cultural Pearls Network Conference, part of the BSR Cultural Pearls project. The conference will unite Cultural Pearls, former candidate cities, and stakeholders to strengthen communities through culture and creativity. This two-day event, co-hosted by the Cultural Pearl 2025, the City of Helsingborg, features study visits, networking, and roundtable discussions under…
On February 24, Estonian Independence Day, the prestigious Baltic Sea Region Cultural Pearl title was awarded for the first time in Estonia. The recipient of this recognition was Peipsiääre Rural Municipality. The celebratory event took place in the municipality centre Alatskivi, starting with a parade and continuing with a folk festival. The award was officially…
Last year the town of Rūjiena enjoyed a lot of attention both locally and internationally as it carried the title of the BSR Cultural Pearl 2024. Over the course of the year, numerous events were held in the town and its vicinity aimed at strengthening local community and fostering its social resilience. The diverse creative…
PROJECT LEAD PARTNER:
Council of the Baltic Sea States Secretariat Felix Schartner Giertta, Project Coordinator+ 46 73 026 73 12
felix.schartner.giertta@cbss.org
