CoMe Stronger

Results

Context and problem

CoMe Stronger project was initiated to address the challenge of engaging elderly men in cultural activities, particularly museum visits, in Finland and Estonia. Elderly men are often an underrepresented audience in museums, partially due to the lack of services especially developed to meet their needs and interests. At the same time, many elderly men face loneliness, limited social contacts and a lack of accessible opportunities for meaningful participation. The project recognized that social inclusion and well-being among elderly men could be improved by developing new relevant museum services in cooperation with the men and museums.

The project built on the earlier CoMe Strong project (2017–2019) which created men’s groups – Tarmo groups in Finland and Meeste Garaaž in Estonia – to offer safe spaces for men at risk of social exclusion and loneliness to meet, share experiences and implement meaningful activities together. CoMe Stronger continued this work by bringing the groups into the cultural field, encouraging the men to take an active role not only as participants but also as developers of new museum service products.

Idea and solution

The core idea of CoMe Stronger was to co‑create new museum services with elderly men and museum professionals. Since elderly men are often seen as a hard‑to‑reach target group in the cultural sector, the project aimed to explore what kind of cultural content genuinely interests them and thus would encourage them to use the services more. The goal was also to help museums to reach new audiences and develop more user-oriented services.

To achieve this, the project used a participatory approach which aimed to ensure that the men’s voices were heard in all development phases. Through user panels, workshops and service product pilots, elderly men shared their thoughts and insights, ensuring that the solutions were attractive and meaningful for the target group.

Altogether, six new museum service products aimed at elderly men – including events, workshops, an exhibition and tours – were created in cooperation. Three of these were piloted in co-operating museums in Finland and three in Estonia. All service products were evaluated with direct feedback from the participants and then refined into a common format for other cultural organizations to adapt and adopt.

Implementation and impact

Because Finnish and Estonian museums were facing similar challenges in engaging elderly men, cross-border cooperation was an important part of the project. Project partners, museums and men’s groups from both countries worked closely together, sharing ideas and comparing experiences. Joint meetings and workshops – including a joint development workshop in Tartu with men’s groups from both countries – enabled partners to learn from each other and adapt solutions to local contexts.

The project empowered elderly men by involving them directly in developing museum services. This strengthened their sense of inclusion and gave them a meaningful role in shaping cultural services. Museums gained new, user centered service models, while the broader cultural field benefited from insights into engaging diverse audiences.