Launched in the autumn of 2023, the vision work aims to define the roles of the four cultural centres – Stoa, Kanneltalo, Vuotalo, and Malmitalo – as extensions of the residents’ living rooms, serving area residents in various ways and contributing positively to the development of these areas. The work began at Stoa last autumn and continued with meetings with Kannelmäki residents in February. Next will be the participatory workshops for city residents at Vuotalo on 17 April and Malmitalo on 23 April. There is still time to join the resident meeting at Malmitalo: you can find the registration link at the end of this article.
“So far, more than a thousand residents and stakeholder representatives have commented on the future of the cultural centres. The online survey for city residents will be open until the end of May”, says Tiina Susiluoto, the project manager in charge of the vision work, inviting people to respond.
“The feedback we have collected shows that cultural centres are meaningful places for residents and a source of pride for their neighbourhoods. The variety of programme content appeals to many and also motivates people to get out and about – often even across town. On the other hand, we have also recognised that some city residents are not yet familiar with the range of services offered by the cultural centres. We want the cultural centres of the future to be welcoming and versatile meeting places in their respective areas”, says Susiluoto, summing up the results of the surveys.
All cultural centres offer a wide range of cultural services, including a library, an adult education centre and a café or restaurant, all under one roof. Most also have facilities and services for young people.
Online surveys are open to residents and stakeholders
Cultural centres can also strengthen the appeal of their respective areas in the eyes of their partners – various organisations, businesses and entrepreneurs. Partners will be invited to workshops to be held in May, and an online survey tailored to their needs is currently open.
“We will also invite local operators to come up with ideas for our common future. We will encourage our partners to work with us in considering what services could complement the current range of services offered by the cultural centres, improve visitor experience and further strengthen local identity”, Susiluoto adds.
Alongside the workshops, resident and stakeholder meetings will take place throughout the spring. Current customers will be consulted, for example, as they use the existing services at the cultural centres. Potential visitors will be interviewed at locations such as shopping centres and sports facilities near the cultural centres. The data that will be collected this spring will provide an important foundation for when the cultural centre professionals delve deeper into the vision work in the autumn.
Welcome to the Malmitalo resident meeting on Tuesday, 23 April, from 17:15 to 19:45 to brainstorm about the future cultural centre! You can register using this link until 22 April: https://forms.office.com/e/Lz7EMLEFyp(Link leads to external service)
Participate in the vision work for the cultural centres by completing the online survey for city residents: https://survey.zef.fi/c3j18esb/index.html(Link leads to external service)
A separate survey is available for representatives of associations, businesses and organisations: https://zef.fi/s/7o74ppnz/(Link leads to external service)
We will raffle off ten (10) Finnkino movie ticket packages with two (2) tickets on 13 May among all city residents who responded to the survey and left their contact information.