Resilient Societies

This research programme responds to challenges posed by systemic polycrises during a time when societies exist in a liminal space – a threshold where old operating models no longer work but new ones have not yet fully formed. The programme develops society’s crisis resilience, community resilience, and recovery capacity from a multidisciplinary and participatory perspective. The programme seeks solutions to strengthen particularly the mutual trust and future confidence within communities.

The programme’s approach emphasizes prosilience – proactive, courageous, creative, and active preparation for change, where practical activities build emotional resilience and the capacity to face, for example, climate emotions.

The research programme recognizes culture and arts as central to society’s resilience and mental preparedness – not merely as added value but as primary infrastructure that creates a foundation for democracy, community, and mental readiness. Both cultural institutions and other communities function as democratic spaces that become especially activated during crises and strengthen society’s connective tissue in everyday life.

Get to know the foundations of the Resilient Societies research programme.

An article by the principal researcher

Projects

Research, development and innovation (RDI) is a core element of the programme. Through projects, the programme researches and develops arts-based and experiential methods for strengthening community resilience, societal mental resilience and proactive crisis readiness in collaboration with partners.

Explore all projects

Publications

Selected Publications on Resilient Societies.

Stöckell, A., & Luostarinen, N. (2025). <em>To heal the woods of the earth (and the mind) through play and art</em>. In A. Sohns (Ed.), <em>Artistic dialogues with the Arctic North: Environmental change and identity in transition</em>.
Article

Stöckell, A., & Luostarinen, N. (2025). To heal the woods of the earth (and the mind) through play and art. In A. Sohns (Ed.), Artistic dialogues with the Arctic North: Environmental change and identity in transition.

Routledge

Luostarinen, N., & Hautio, M. (2024). <em>(re) play (re) imagine (re) experience (re) interpret (re) connect</em>. In N. Lee, R. Irwin, A. Baldus, D. Barney, J. Ursino, & E. Valiary (Eds.), <em>Pedagogical propositions: Playful walking with A/r/tography. Book One: Encounters</em>.
article

Luostarinen, N., & Hautio, M. (2024). (re) play (re) imagine (re) experience (re) interpret (re) connect. In N. Lee, R. Irwin, A. Baldus, D. Barney, J. Ursino, & E. Valiary (Eds.), Pedagogical propositions: Playful walking with A/r/tography. Book One: Encounters.

InSEA Publications

Poprawski, M. (2024). <em>Audience companions leave no one behind: Spotlight on audience development practice and values in Finland</em>. In A. Aspegren (Ed.), <em>Audiences: 15 stories about audience development</em> (pp. 83–93).
Article

Poprawski, M. (2024). Audience companions leave no one behind: Spotlight on audience development practice and values in Finland. In A. Aspegren (Ed.), Audiences: 15 stories about audience development (pp. 83–93).

The Danish Centre for Arts and Interculture & Rasmussen Nordic

Sinisalo-Juha, E., Korhonen, A., & Hopiavuori, K. (2024). <em>You have 20 seconds to survive</em>.
Blog

Sinisalo-Juha, E., Korhonen, A., & Hopiavuori, K. (2024). You have 20 seconds to survive.

Humak University of Applied Sciences

Luostarinen, N. (2023). <em>Building, believing, becoming: Participatory playful land art intervention for creating empathy and meliorism</em>.
Article

Luostarinen, N. (2023). Building, believing, becoming: Participatory playful land art intervention for creating empathy and meliorism.

International Journal of Education Through Art, 19(1), 59–67.

Janhila, L. (2022). <em>Creative sectors cooperation as a driver of development and growth</em>. In M. Ikävalko & P. Vartiainen (Eds.), <em>Lessons learnt: Experiences and good practices in EDUCRO-project</em> (pp. 26–29).
Article

Janhila, L. (2022). Creative sectors cooperation as a driver of development and growth. In M. Ikävalko & P. Vartiainen (Eds.), Lessons learnt: Experiences and good practices in EDUCRO-project (pp. 26–29).

LAB University of Applied Sciences

Doctoral dissertation

Tikkaoja, O. (2021). Reality tinkering: An artistic approach to the abundance of the familiar (Doctoral dissertation, Aalto University).

Aalto University Doctoral Dissertations.

Contact

Nina Luostarinen, the Principal Researcher of the Resilient Societies research programme.

Nina Luostarinen

Nina Luostarinen

Principal Researcher Helsingin kampus
0400349375
View profile