Our activities in Leeuwarden-Fryslân 2018: Fryske Akademy

What will the Fryske Akademy organize for visitors, for researchers and culture lovers in 2018?

Beautiful language initiatives flourish in our courtyard, such as a series of lectures on animal language, a literary walking tour, and folktales in all languages spoken in Leeuwarden. An exhibition of maps in the courtyard tells a fascinating story about our province.

But also outside our courtyard you can join our events. In August, our citizen scientist groups create a cycling route around the old Middelzee, while regional languages and dialects of the Netherlands have our attention on 8 and 9 June.

A few highlights

Coulon House Stories: scientists speak. We are not a museum with its own collection of objects, and our buildings are rarely open to the general public. Yet, we do have many stories to tell: about the Frisian language and multilingualism, and about Frisian history. On 26 January, between 19.00 and 21.00 hours, three scientists will tell about the things they are concerned with in their research, and why they think it is so important. Hindrik Sijens about a postcard from 1893 and what it meant for the Frisian dictionary, Eric Hoekstra about the mystical experiences of a scientist, and Mark Raat about historical inhabitants of the Frisian cities.

US: Lân fan Taal is a new, unique game about Leeuwarden which can be played on a smartphone. In this game, you are brought in contact with special locations in Leeuwarden, but also with the history of the Leeuwarden city center. The game has been made in the context of Lân fan taal on behalf of the Afûk in collaboration with Grendel Games and the Fryske Akademy.

Conference on Frisian Humanities. The Fryske Akademy organizes the first Conference on Frisian Humanities, in the Municipal Theatre De Harmonie in Leeuwarden, on 23 to 26 April 2018, as part of the project Lân fan taal (Country of languages) of Leeuwarden-Fryslân European Capital of Culture 2018. The conference provides a forum for scientific debate concerning language and culture in the Frisian regions, in past and present, and in an international perspective, with the purpose of discussing empirical, methodological and theoretical issues in the field of humanities.

The Middelzee Route. On Saturday 25 August 2018, our citizen scientist groups organize a cycling route around the old Middelzee, a route of about 45 kilometers. At each stop a short lecture is given about the development of the landscape, the defense against the water, the development of the regional languages and the agriculture in the area.