A&DO Seminar 2023

Location: Muualla

Participant, Experiencer, Learner – Redefining Roles in Audience Engagement 
Final Seminar of A&DO – Learning Centre for Architecture and Design Project 

Time: Wednesday, November 1, 2023, 9:30 AM – 4:15 PM 
Location: Vuosali, Vuotalo Cultural Centre, Mosaiikkitori 2, Helsinki 
Participation: Free of charge | Pre-registration required 
Language: The second part of the event is in English. Otherwise, the event is in Finnish. 

Register here: https://q.surveypal.com/ADO-seminaari-2023

The nationwide A&DO – Learning Centre for Architecture and Design by the Museum of Finnish Architecture and the Design Museum has traveled across Finland. The final stop of the project is in Vuosaari, where the inspiring A&DO Lab, an exhibition touring within two side-opening shipping containers, was on display in August–September 2023. The three-year project culminates in a seminar that brings together learning and audience engagement professionals to discuss topical questions in the field. 

How can art and culture strengthen an individual’s participation in their own environment? What role can museums play in fostering participation? What strategies do museums around the world employ to engage and serve communities beyond their walls? 

The first part of the seminar delves into co-design themes. In the morning, we will hear about the co-development of the area of Vuosaari, the largest district in Helsinki, and contemplate what can be achieved when expertise is shared, based on the example of the A&DO project. 

Providing an international perspective on the topic, Joanna Mawdsley, Head of Learning at V&A Dundee, and Keri Ryan, Curator of Learning and Engagement at M+ Hong Kong, will share insights on their audience engagement and learning strategies. Both V&A Dundee and M+ have successfully built and supported communities. 

The Finnish Cultural Foundation is promoting the use of new and innovative practices in museums with the Museum Vision Project, the purpose of which is to increase the number of museum visitors and to enhance visitor experience. The  project aims to revitalize museums to be more interesting, appealing, and effective in conveying information. At the end of the seminar, the success of these goals will be evaluated. The joint A&DO – Learning Centre for Architecture and Design initiative of the Museum of Finnish Architecture and the Design Museum Helsinki, along with Leikki – the Museum of Play, provides an inspiring examples of the methods that have been developed with the support of the Museum Vision grant. 

 
Program 

We offer breakfast and afternoon coffee. 

9:30–10 Registration and Breakfast 

10–11:30 Part 1: How Is a Good Local Environment Built in Vuosaari? 

Leena Svinhufvud, Head of Learning / A&DO Project Manager 
Tuuli Tokkola, Director / Vuotalo 
Petri Leppälä, Architect / City of Helsinki / Urban Environment Division 
Päivi Raivio, Designer / RaivioBomann Ltd. 
Arja-Liisa Kaasinen and Hanna Kapanen / A&DO Team 

11:30–12:30 Lunch break 

12:30–13:30 Part 2: How Do Museums Worldwide Engage Audiences Beyond Their Walls? 

Joanna Mawdsley, Head of Learning / V&A Dundee 
Keri Ryan, Lead Curator, Learning and Interpretation / M+ Hong Kong

Afternoon coffee 

13:45–14:45 Part 3: What Are the Museums of the Future Like? 

Johanna Rassi, Museum Director / Museo Leikki 
Anna Talasniemi Ph.D., doctoral researcher / in collaboration with: LUSTO
Susanna Pettersson, CEO / Finnish Cultural Foundation 

14:45–15:00 Break 

15:00–15:15 Towards a New Museum of Architecture and Design Together 

Carina Jaatinen, Director / Museum of Finnish Architecture 
Kaarina Gould, Project Director / AD Museum Project

15:15–16:15 Creative conclusion and summarizing the seminar’s insights 

Joined by the 10th-anniversary celebration of the Finnish Design Education Society.