Collaborative space Kupla

The Postal Museum’s year 2024 brought a lot of new things. The national responsibility for the museum, together with Tampere’s historical museums, will begin. The Postal Museum will open a new kind of museum space, collaborative space Kupla, where discussions and exhibitions will be held.

Collaborative space Kupla

The Postal Museum opened a new kind of museum space on 2 February 2024 as part of its national responsibility as a museum. Collaborative space Kupla will combine visitor encounters with small-scale exhibition activities. The Finnish term Kupla bears the same meaning as the echo chamber.

The museum will use Kupla to strengthen the Finnish culture of conversation, increase participation and encourage dialogue. Kupla has been designed with special attention to accessibility in its various forms, thus increasing the possibility for everyone to participate.

The discussions at collaborative space Kupla are based on the Timeout dialogue method developed by Sitra. In a joint project with Sitra, a dialogue model for democracy work in museums is being developed. The dialogues aim to increase people’s understanding of the mechanisms of digitalisation and digital power and to strengthen social trust and faith in the future. The project will also develop ways to use the dialogues to support societal decision-making and to develop museums’ exhibitions.

The Postal Museum’s national responsibility as a museum, together with Tampere’s historical museums, in particular the Finnish Museum of Games and the Media Museum Rupriikki, started on 1 January 2024, with a special focus on communication, games, post and digital life.

Timeout dialogues in Collaborative space Kupla in part of Museums’ Democracy Work

The discussions at collaborative space Kupla are based on the Timeout dialogue method developed by The Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra. In a joint project with Sitra, a dialogue model for democracy work in museums is being developed. The dialogues aim to increase people’s understanding of the mechanisms of digitalization and digital power and to strengthen social trust and faith in the future. The project will also develop ways to use the dialogues to support societal decision-making and to develop museum exhibitions.

Photo: Wille Nyyssönen

Timeout dialogue – How to have constructive discussions in museums?

Timeout is a new way to generate and have constructive discussions. Timeout dialogue can be used whenever a deeper understanding of the topic or an equal encounter is required – for instance, as a part of preparations, decision-making or bringing different people together.

Timeout breeds a feeling of inclusion between the participants and societal inclusion in general. Moreover, it provides a deeper understanding of the topic in question and of different perspectives. At best, it generates unpredictable insights and new thinking. The Timeout dialogue tools help to invite the ones who do not usually take part in conversations.

Timeout dialogue is a method of conversation where people are welcomed to take time, sit down and engage in equal conversation. It is a dialogue method for people from diverse backgrounds. It is at its best in a group of around ten participants.

Timeout is always a facilitated discussion. The facilitator will take care of the constructiveness of the discussion.

The Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra is funding a series of Timeout dialogues about our changing digital life at the Museum Centre Vapriikki in Tampere in 2024. The dialogues will provide an opportunity for citizens and communities to engage in a constructive dialogue on the past, present and future of digitalization. The project will build a model for museums to use in their work.

At the same time, we will develop ways to use public debates to support social decision-making and to develop museums’ own exhibition activities. It will also open the possibilities for museums to act as arenas for democracy and civic debate in the digital age.

Questions?

Asla Heikkari
Project Coordinator
+358 50 351 1521
asla.heikkari(at)postimuseo.fi

Tiia Tiainen
Development Manager, Deputy Director
+358 50 552 8667
tiia.tiainen(at)postimuseo.fi