Report on Taikusydän’s Activities in 2023
Our work in 2023 focused on raising awareness about arts & health and documenting the development of the arts & health sector in Finland in recent years. We also started editing a publication that would benefit municipalities, organizations, well-being services counties, arts & health professionals and students. Here are some highlights from our year:
Knowledge Production and Communication
We published two fact sheets related to creative well-being for older adults, and an article on the history of arts and health. We began work on the “ABC of Creative Well-Being” publication. The aim of this publication is to define and document key terminology and vocabulary used in the arts & health field in Finland. It includes approximately 150 terms with definitions and references, an introductory article, guidelines for using the publication, infographics, and short articles by arts & health professionals. The publication is scheduled for publication in early autumn 2024. It will be available only in Finnish with a short English summary.
Communication Efforts
We published 11 newsletters during the year, reaching 1,659 subscribers by the end of the year. Our website received approximately 19,000 visitors and we actively updated its content. We collaborated with Arts Promotion Centre Finland and Health form Culture Association in the Taidetutka online magazine, which attracted over 15,000 visitors. In 2023, Taidetutka focused on the creativity of older adults, creative ageing, and their role as cultural innovators.
We also contributed an article on Finnish arts & health policy and structures to a publication that discusses arts & health policies across European countries.
Networking and Dissemination of Research
Our expert database contains the profiles of 22 researchers in the field of arts & health in Finland. We contributed to the Nordic Journal of Arts, Culture & Health by editing and assisting in the publication of one full issue and five articles. We organized two researcher network meetings and participated in Nordic Arts & Health Research Network events in Malmö and Espoo.
Taikusydän supported the activities of 13 regional networks and assisted in establishing one new network. We responded to several information requests, provided guidance, wrote blogs, and gave interviews on arts & health.
We launched an open online course titled “Introduction to Creative Well-Being,” which was completed by 77 students from various disciplines through The University of Turku and Turku University of Applied Sciences.
Events and Advocacy
We participated in 32 events, either as speakers or organizers, reaching over 1,900 participants through live or recorded sessions.
Active involvement in the Culture & Well-Being Pool allowed us to collaborate on setting goals for the parliamentary elections and contribute to the Quality Recommendations for Active and Functional Ageing and Sustainable Services (2024–2027).
Team and Budget
Our team consisted of five members: Anna-Mari Rosenlöf (Senior Advisor), Taru Tähti (Advisor), Helki Kallio (Communications Planner), Liisa Laitinen (Advisor), and Minna Lehto (Financial Advisor). Three team members worked part-time while one had a full-time contract for five months.
Our total operating expenses were approximately €107,000, marking our eighth full year of operation. We received support from the Arts Promotion Centre Finland, the City of Turku, and Turku University of Applied Sciences.