This was a very special PhD Workshop, that I will remember for a long while! I appreciated how it fostered a community among the participants and presenters in a very caring way and without hierarchy. The overall atmosphere made me feel part of a group of individuals with a special interest in soils, no matter their stage of career - this made it possible to exchange on a deeper level with senior researchers. The regular walks, swims, communal lunches and talks in between activities, where many of us shared experiences, knowledge and tools, fostered this caring and safe space.
Absolutely all of the lectures, presentations and activities were informative to me, interesting and spot-on. I especially enjoyed when they were done outside or not in a lecture format. I thought it was very special to have Cornelya, a researcher from Svanhovd, join our activities, linking the different talks and activities with the local history, politics and more in general with the place we were in, its soil, plants, animals and all the changes that are going on. Marianne added her valuable knowledge to the history of Svanhovd as a research farm and Anatolijs on mushrooms and WWII ruins in the surroundings. In the mean time, the wonderful art-science performance lecture at 96-høyden engaged with that place but also rituals in a way that touched many of us profoundly. All this helped to anchor this workshop in place, the lands and the local soil!
My own research is anchored in East Finnmark, so it was really great to learn more about soil-related issues, methods and theories from different disciplines with many of them linked to this region. I enjoyed very much how art or artistic methods seemed a natural part of many of the participants work or that it felt natural for them to participate in art-related activities.
I got good feedback on my work, mostly in one-to-one chats that happened in between activities. These unplanned conversations were the best and most honest ones. I felt that the people I talked with were genuinely interested in my project and my questions. I also really appreciated the conversations I had with Elise, with whom I was paired up to exchange our respective essays. Matching two participants is a great way to create accountability and get thorough feedback while also getting to know that person and his/ her project better.
What was also really valuable for me, was that many of the researchers and artists giving lectures/ creating activities for us dared to be vulnerable with us. It just helps so much to talk about the struggles and the exhaustion in academia, and to know that you are not alone! This was such a supportive group, and it felt like a gift! I am very thankful, that I could be a part of this special week.
