Paper short abstract:

As tools for co-creating futures, we present participatory Futures Studies methods (Siivonen et al. 2022) to be suggested to the new Horizon Europe project ‘IN SITU: Place-based innovation of cultural and creative industries in non-urban areas’ with West Coast Finland as one of six case labs.

Paper long abstract:

New ways are needed to support and advance non-urban areas and vulnerable sectors of Cultural and Creative Industry. Interlinking research and practice, this paper presents participatory Futures Studies methods, especially the concept of Heritage Futures and the method of Heritage Futures Workshop, as tools for co-creating sustainable futures (Siivonen et al. 2022). Cultural heritage transformed into Heritage Futures, become a concept whose key characteristic is intentional co-creation of novel futures based on chosen values (Siivonen 2019). The context of the paper is the new Horizon Europe project ‘IN SITU: Place-based innovation of cultural and creative industries in non-urban areas’ (2022-2026, University of Coimbra). West Coast Finland (Rauma and Eurajoki), with its strong number of artistic practitioners, is one of the six IN SITU Labs in Europe – hubs for case studies. In the Finnish Lab area, maritime environment and cultural heritage sites are key resources for individual belonging, social resilience, well-being and local economy. Heritage Futures aims to strengthen the future agency of CCI practitioners and provide tools for co-creating skills and knowledge with connected emotions, and empathy towards both human and more-than-human world. As a consequence, it pursues deliberative cultural transformation towards sustainable societies. Heritage Futures Workshops are developed to be used to initiate cultural change. Our presentation will also reflect on the role of researchers in local development work, such as the formation of a 'field' and ethical issues, and the challenges of supporting the creative sector's future agency.