Adult Education Centres as mediators of cultural wellbeing

Objectives

Objectives:

• To promote the employment of artists in the social and health sector
• To improve the accessibility of the arts and culture
• To increase geographical equality in the availability of art services
• To develop service pathways that connect artists, Adult Education Centres and the needs of the social and health sector

The Adult Education Centres as mediators of cultural wellbeing project aims to promote the employment of artists in the social and health sector and to develop service pathways that connect artists, Adult Education Centres and the needs of welfare regions. The project supports the accessibility and geographical equality of the arts and culture, offering models that promote cultural wellbeing for nationwide implementation.

Target groups and key partners

The project's activities are aimed particularly at customers of the South Ostrobothnia welfare region, for example people with intellectual disabilities, pensioners, people in mental health and substance abuse rehabilitation, and others in need of social support. 

Key partners include the Seinäjoki and Järvilakeus Adult Education Centres, the South Ostrobothnia welfare region (South Ostrobothnia's future SOTE centre project, 2021-2022), the Regional Council of South Ostrobothnia and the City of Seinäjoki.

Project outputs

1. Share the experiences of your work community (2022–2023)
   These pilots offered arts activities that support cultural wellbeing, such as a social circus, community singing and art sessions for social and health services in South Ostrobothnia. The activities increased the inclusion and sense of community of participants. The pilots were implemented as a sales service of the Seinäjoki Adult Education Centre and targeted the emerging welfare region.
    
2. Taiku training for social and health professionals (2022–2023)
   This training was aimed at social and health professionals who wanted to develop their skills in the field of cultural wellbeing. Participants received information and practical training on implementing cultural wellbeing activities for different target groups. The Järvilakeus Adult Education Centre implemented the training as a sales service, and its contents were developed in collaboration with Taike’s project.
   
   
3. M-talo Artist Residency Project (2023–2024)
   M-talo in Seinäjoki hosted an artist residency project that brought art into psychiatric care and rehabilitation. The project was implemented by the Silta Cultural Collective and funded by the Finnish Cultural Foundation. The artist residencies were promoted as part of the  Adult Education Centres as mediators of cultural wellbeing project and planned as part of the courses at the Seinäjoki Adult Education Centre. Read more here.
    
4. Material pack (2023–2024)
   A material pack was created to support the cultural wellbeing activities of Adult Education Centres. The pack includes the following documents:
   • Checklist of best practices for art activities in social and health services
   • Cultural wellbeing at Adult Education Centres: Review questions for developing activities
   • Guidelines for Adult Education Centres: Promoting cultural wellbeing in collaboration with welfare regions.
   • The material pack is available from Innokylä. Read more here.
      
5. Nationwide survey (2024)
   A survey commissioned by Taike and conducted by by Kukunori ry collected information on cultural wellbeing activities, funding and collaboration practices at Adult Education Centres. According to the results of the survey, 63% of Adult Education Centres implement cultural wellbeing activities, and more than half work closely with welfare regions and social and health actors. The results will be used to help develop new models.
    
6. Art workshops as part of the services promoting employment and inclusion in the welfare region (2024)
   The aim of the art workshops was to offer customers of services promoting employment and inclusion in the South Ostrobothnia welfare region new ways to strengthen their wellbeing, encourage them to get acquainted with art, and lower the threshold for participation. The workshops were guided by artists and implemented by the Seinäjoki and Järvilakeus Adult Education Centres. 
    
7. Upcoming (2025–2026):
   • Artist lectures for libraries in South Ostrobothnia (2025)
     The Seinäjoki Adult Education Centre and Taike will jointly produce remote lectures by artists for libraries in South Ostrobothnia.
   • Development of cultural wellbeing sales services (2025)
   • Description of operating models (2025)
   • Articles in the publication Elämä tarvitsee taidetta! – Life Needs Art! (2025)
     A handbook for cultural wellbeing expert services will be published in March 2025.
   • Final report (2026)

The project is discussed in Venla Korja’s Master’s thesis “The role of Adult Education Centres in promoting art, health and wellbeing”. The guidelines for Adult Education Centres are based on the results of the thesis's document analysis. The thesis can be found here.

Project information and materials are available on the Innokylä website. Read more here.

This project is part of the development work for cultural wellbeing expert services.