SSAH partner for arts-based community engagement

Humak University of Applied Sciences is a nationwide Finnish institution in the social sciences, arts and humanities (SSAH). We are looking to join consortia as a partner for the NATURE Call, mainly under topics 01-03 and 02-02, and possibly 02-03.

What we offer

Within Humak’s Resilient Societies Research Programme, arts-based and participatory methods are developed and studied, with sustainability, climate and environmental emotions, and belonging and trust among the key themes. Our core method is participatory land art and restoration art: local communities create large, temporary artworks from natural materials depicting endangered or indicator species, documented through aerial photography. The method has been used in different landscapes across Finland, including former peat extraction sites, and in Japan in collaboration with Kyushu University. We also use photovoice and other visual methods. Humak can further draw on its expertise in community education, youth and civic work, cultural management, and sign language interpreting and accessibility.

Possible contribution by topic

For 01-03, we could contribute arts- and culture-based approaches to analysing implementation gaps in transformative change, qualitative and participatory research on values, perceptions of nature and place relationships, and co-designed processes for identifying leverage points together with communities and decision makers.

For 02-02, we could lead or support community and stakeholder co-creation in living labs, arts-based engagement and communication at experimental sites, inclusive participation of diverse groups such as young people, and research on local ownership and the social dimensions of restoration. Our work on former peat extraction areas could offer a boreal case context.

For 02-03, we could contribute methods and training materials for participatory and arts-based engagement across a network of living labs.

Contact person

Dr Nina Luostarinen, Principal Researcher, coordinates the Resilient Societies Research Programme. She holds a Doctor of Arts degree from the University of Lapland, has around 20 years of experience in project management, including EU-funded projects, and works as an expert evaluator for the European Commission.

We are open to task or work package leadership in engagement, co-creation, communication and dissemination, and welcome contact from coordinators forming consortia.