Application for student scholarship 44.2.2009 Let's introduce our-selves. We are a group of 5 young international glass-artists/ designers studying Applied Art at University of Art and Design Helsinki, Finland. Lead by Glass and Ceramic Professor Kazushi Nakada and Head of Applied art and Design, Timo Salli We have started a journey together. We accept that locality exists within every corner of our globe, but globality has only recently become an obvious possibilty for us. Our inspiration comes from personal interest in existing examples The inspiration origins from visits to museums, factories, companies and individual professionals within the region of the Nordic countries. Alongside it occurs from researching due literature and links. We don't have a set of rules, values or customs, but we look at the conditions around us. The facilities of University of Art and Design are our playgrounds. Here we can focus on the micro-cosmos of glass. Our purpose is to invent new approaches, techniques or products. The focus starts from the glass techniques and concepts and are interpreted into 6 diverse directions of each individual. It is a journey of co-existence with the material and a co- experience between us. In the meeting between different cultural backgrounds of North European and Asian we have established a co-existence with the material substance and in a co-experience of culture-clash within Finland. Our story is a Helsinki-based tale told through everyday observations, material experimentation and a collaborative design-thinking process in order to seek our common potential as a collective genius, Trust us, 5 minds working together adds diversity inspiring you with our theme of Finnish drinking culture. Through thousands of years has been used for artistic, social, spiritual purposes as well as being beneficial, even sanitary for health. Generally people drink for several reasons, thirst, drunkenness, social setting, taste, addiction or custom. Drinking is an essential human need and often related to a social event. Drinking often adds to the quality of life and opens great collective experiences. Drinking is localized with local geographical areas and drinking cultures differs from culture to culture. Finns love to drink and they are proud of their drinking culture. Worldwide the Finns are famous for their heavy drinking, It is said, that in Finland drinking is not about socializing. It is about getting drunk - seriously drunk. It is widely accepted to drink your-self in earnest, though it doesn't apply to the major part of society. The heavily drinking sessions is concentrated during weekends and passed out people is not an unfamiliar in the Helsinki cityscape. Recent studies show that alcohol is among the major death-related reasons in Finland, even though the total alcohol consumption is lower than in other European countries. Anti alcohol campaign has focused on the habits of the younger generations drinking culture. The Finnish alcohol distribution is control under a single State institution, which creates an image as alcohol being a forbidden fruit.