Let’s share the action and put our art and culture groups to the map!
The session Culture Houses was hosted by Markus Vähälä from Kukunori, the center for wellbeing and culture in Finland. The culture house model is based on Guided Functional Peer Support Model created in Finland by several innovators and is in use in over 12 culture houses all over Finland. The model has been in use for over ten years and it has provided good results in maintaining and advancing recovery from mental health problems, offering training and community for peer support for hundreds of people in Scandinavia.
The culture houses are usually physical spaces in central places in urban environments where people can design, lead and participate in various creative peer actions from morning to evening. Professional staff are supporting and training peer tutors and work as back-up for the groups. On top of discussing about issues, problems and solutions, culture houses offer functional peer support. The focus in Guided Functional Peer support model is doing things together creatively, sharing your passion and interests with people. The idea is that instead of traditional trouble-centered dialogue of the peer support, the culture house model focuses on human resources and functionality through interaction.
The Culture House Dramalogen is a network of culture workers in Sweden using their cultural skills to benefit society in various ways. It is run by Halmstad municipality and offers a variety of activities based on art and culture and supports people with disabilities, people with mental health support needs and refugees. Kukunori, an active development partner of Dramalogen, has been developing the culture house model for years and offers culture house action in prison environment, in schools and runs Roso Productions a 24/7 online culture house.
The session at the No Labels No Walls festival was to create a map that would allow people to connect, interact and offer new perspectives around art, culture and wellbeing. What new would international networking offer to culture groups around the world? How could we support culture houses and GFP models around the world?
The session at the festival brought people from different countries together, from Finland, England, Scotland and USA. During the event people introduced their action around doing art and culture together, some ideas were discussed and the map was constructed. Now you can join the action with editing the map together with these simple instructions:
Show and share with the world and put your art and culture group to the map. If you don’t have a group yet, we will show how you can take part in the online Culture House open 24/7.
What is your Culture House or what kind of Culture House would you like to see? Let’s put ourselves on the map, share our productions, tell our stories and plan for the future. Let’s make Culture Houses happen together!
1) Go to the our Google Map
2) Add the name of your group, location and contact information for example your website
3) Explore the other groups and contact!
As we know the world cannot be saved alone. It requires others interested in the same themes. The introduced Map is enhancing possibilities for cooperation and co-creation ideas and projects together. It also makes it possible to become aware of the activities through which others promote wellbeing through art and culture. The world deserves to be aware of all the knowledge capital that art and culture actors have as removers of social problems.
Come along! Work together to promote human wellbeing. The work is demanding and therefore it is important to stop from time to time to think about what is the change you are committed to promote. What is the big change you want to make? Awareness of the impact of your actions inspires and empowers. It is important to acknowledge and appreciate your own work, your group and your networks. In order to be able to improve the world, continuous development is needed.
Here are listed some questions to ponder:
Go to the our Google Map by clicking here
