Removing Barriers

Publication Removing Barriers – Participative and Collaborative Cultural Activities in KUULTO Action Research analyses Finnish action research project KUULTO, conducted in Finland during the years 2011-2015. The aim of KUULTO was to find and test practical ways of removing regional and social barriers of participating in cultural activities. In the project, all together 22 local actors identified these barriers, designed measures on how to overcome them and, together with researchers and other experts, evaluated the success of the chosen measures in reaching the overall objectives of the project in removing barriers of cultural participation. This first phase of the project was funded by the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture. After an evaluation, a new blueprint for action was drawn and a new phase of action started, this time funded by the participating municipalities.

Publication Removing Barriers – Participative and Collaborative Cultural Activities in KUULTO Action Research presents the different phases of the action research. The publication asks what kinds of means/actions did the local actors come up with and implement in their efforts to remove barriers to participation and increase the opportunities of people/local residents to take part in cultural activities.  Secondly, the publication analyses what kinds of methods and (sustainable) practices were created to activate people/the local residents to participate in the actions and the related decision making.  Thirdly, the publication examines the policy implications resulting from the findings of particular KUULTO cases. The results are grounded in the experiences of the communities involved.

Anita Kangas 2017. Removing Barriers – Participative and Collaborative Cultural Activities in KUULTO Action Research. Cupore’s webpublications 44. ISBN 978-952-7200-20-9 (pdf), ISSN 1796-9263 (pdf)

KUULTO action research has since inspired also other research practices and methods. One recent example is the international research project Testing innovative methods to evaluate cultural and creative spillovers in Europe.  In the project, four different case studies document, evaluate and make recommendations based on arts, cultural and creative activity where cultural and creative spillover effects have been evaluated using and testing innovative methods. Cupore was one of the project partners and Cupore’s research team utilized KUULTO action research project in developing a qualitative approach and method for the evaluation of knowledge and network spillovers in particular.

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Project Cultural and Creative Spillovers

Publication (PDF): Sakarias Sokka, Olli Jakonen, Sari Karttunen & Anita Kangas (2017). KUULTO and Tampere Together: action research and systemic thinking as tools for identifying spillovers and understanding their generation and sustenance.