Resilient Cultural Heritage
The Resilient Cultural Heritage project, jointly implemented by the Finnish Heritage Agency and three regional museum responsibility areas, aims to strengthen preparedness for the protection of cultural heritage and cultural property while supporting society’s psychological resilience.
Resilient Cultural Heritage 2026–2027
The Resilient Cultural Heritage project, jointly implemented by the Finnish Heritage Agency and three regional museum responsibility areas, aims to strengthen preparedness for the protection of cultural heritage and cultural property while supporting society’s psychological resilience.
The project will be carried out during 2026–2027 in cooperation with regional museums with statutory responsibilities. The project is funded by Sitra.
Cultural Heritage Strengthens Psychological Resilience
Cultural heritage helps build community identity, a sense of continuity, and confidence in the future. During disruptions and crises, it plays an important role in supporting people’s psychological resilience.
At the same time, cultural heritage and cultural property may be particularly vulnerable in crisis situations, making their protection dependent on proactive preparedness and cooperation between different actors.
Regional Networks at the Core
As part of the project, the Finnish Heritage Agency, together with the regional responsibility museums of Satakunta, Central Finland and North Savo, will develop a regional operating model for the protection of cultural heritage during emergencies and crises.
The development work will also involve rescue services, parishes, civil society organisations and other regional stakeholders. Cooperation will be strengthened through workshops, networking activities and practical exercises.
Preparedness Developed Together and in Practice
During the project, regional preparedness capabilities will be assessed, key responsibilities and cooperation needs identified, and operating practices developed to protect, for example, museum collections, public art, the built cultural environment and archaeological heritage during emergencies and crises.
The model being developed will be tested through pilot exercises that evaluate, in practice, cooperation between stakeholders and their ability to respond to rapidly changing situations.
A Model for Use Across Finland
A key objective of the project is to create an operating model that can be adopted in all 19 regional museum responsibility areas in Finland. This will help integrate cultural heritage protection more closely into regional preparedness efforts throughout the country.
At the same time, cooperation networks between museums, authorities and other stakeholders will be strengthened, enhancing the capacity to safeguard our shared cultural heritage during emergencies and crises.
The project will produce a nationally applicable operating model that will be published for use by all museums. The aim is to make procedures, responsibilities and cooperation structures related to cultural heritage protection clearer than before and to strengthen awareness of the role of cultural heritage as part of societal security and psychological resilience.
The one-year project will begin in autumn 2026.