What we aim to achieve:

CoMe Stronger project aims to improve public museum services in a way that encourages more elderly men to use the services. As a result, six new museum service products are developed to better answer to the needs of elderly men.

How are we going to get there:

The project will pilot a co-development process together with elderly men and cooperating museums in Finland and Estonia. Elderly men will be gathered into user panels for the museums. The task of the user panels is to come up with new types of museum service products that will attract more elderly men to visit museums. User panel members develop services to make them more interesting and appealing to them.

Development will be based on the principles of co-design and co-creation. Ideas and inspiration will be gathered also by visits to other museums.

At the beginning of the project, Finnish and Estonian men will gather for a joint development workshop in Tartu. During the workshop, men will start the process to come up with new ideas for museum services. The workshop will also serve as a recruitment event for the user panels.

Cooperating museums:

  • Naantali Museum
  • Mynämäki Museum
  • Estonian Agricultural Museum
  • Estonian National Museum

Why is it important:

In our aging societies, cultural services would benefit from engaging more elderly people and attracting diverse audiences. Men generally use these services less than women, partly due to a lack of services especially designed for them.

Since culture enhances well-being and health, especially for the elderly, it’s crucial to develop services that encourage elderly men to participate, benefiting both them and museums that reach new audiences.