Cultural Heritage in Action is organising a peer learning visit in Helsinki in June 2022. Anyone working on culture and cultural heritage for a regional, city or rural administration from the EU and the UK can apply to take part in the visit by 30 April 2022. 

The visit will be dedicated to the topic of City Puzzle – towards a sustainable model of reusing old premises for cultural uses, and will focus on the example of Kaapeli (the Cable Factory). The city of Helsinki and the real-estate company Kiinteistö Oy Kaapelitalo (Kaapeli) have been cooperating for 30 years to manage the former Cable Factory. The legal form of the company and full ownership of the premises led to a long-term sustainable operational model guaranteeing qualitative cultural activities.

Selected participants will discuss challenges and barriers encountered along the way and how they were overcome. The visit will provide an intimate and trusting setting to discuss pitfalls and failures, provide feedback and constructive criticism and build solutions together. Selected participants will get useful information and ideas for improving their existing local projects, initiating new ones or transferring some of the presented practices.

The specific themes tackled during the peer learning visit will be:

• Sustainable and adaptive re-use of (industrial) heritage buildings for artistic uses
• Cooperation model between municipal departments: culture, city museums, housing and environment
• Governance models for transformed cultural heritage sites
• Helsinki City strategic framework for cultural heritage; Helsinki’s Real estate strategy; Culture and Art Vision 2030.

Learn more about the peer learning visit in Leeds, rules for applying and find the application form here.