The seminar brought the role of the arts and culture into discussion alongside the sciences and economics as important factors in regional and urban development, commercial success and the future of the Uusimaa region and Espoo. Using the arts and culture to promote well-being and economic competitiveness is a subject on which there is currently little knowledge.

The event was both international and Finnish. The speakers included Charles Landry (UK), the internationally renowned expert on cultural production and creative commerce and founder of the Comedia consultancy firm; Professor Lotte Därso (DK), author of “Artful Creation. Learning-Tales of Arts-in-Business”; Veli-Pekka Niitamo (FI), the chairman of Nokia Oyj's and European LivingLab Portfolio activity, CKIR, Holland; and Anne Stenros, head of design, Kone Oyj. The speakers provided answers and new questions regarding how the science-art-economics trinity best functions. They also investigated the significance of the non-material values that the arts and culture bring to commerce and societal well-being and the ways to facilitate creative collisions between art, science and economics in cities and in the commercial sector.

"The success of products, services and commercial activity is connected to non-material, or aesthetic, ethical and experiential content, meanings and values required by the user and consumer" stated the host of the seminar, Georg Dolivo, head of culture at the city of Espoo.

The cultural product developer group of the Cultural Concepts project of which this seminar was a part, displayed their talent at T3 Symbiosis. Musicians Iiro Rantala and Jukka Perko of Hidas Oy showed off their creative thinking; management consultant and master of arts Piritta Kantojärvi together with work community trainer and actress Niina Nurminen facilitated the participation of the audience and the decision maker group; the Reality Research Centre (Todellisuuden Tutkimuskeskus) made for a unique event thanks their theatrical skills; and coaching professional Eija Mäkirintala, Phd. from Altanova Oy provided a taste of a creative grasp on success.

Please contact Kata Kreft Burman for further information about the Creative Cities project in Finland.

Kata Kreft-Burman
Projects and Partnerships Manager
Tel. +358 9 7743 3320
first.last@britishcouncil.fi