The international CHERRY project of Regional Council of Kainuu arranged a pilot call in spring 2025, choosing eight small cultural experiments from Kainuu for funding. The pilots have been implemented during the summer and autumn period. The first pilot has now been completed. Below you can learn about the results of the so called Museum Bus experiment.
Eyes Opened for Local History
The CHERRY pilot called Museum Bus was organized by the Kainuu Museum, in cooperation with the privately owned Riihipiha Museum, located in the village of Vuolijoki. The purpose of the Riihipiha Museum is to collect, preserve, and present the traditional Kainuu rural homestead and its way of life as it existed before the widespread adoption of electricity.
The target groups for the pilot were foreign-language residents of Kainuu of all ages. The aim was to promote their participation and integration into Kainuu through local historical stories and exploration of regional identity. The project sought to design and test a new bilingual service that would provide participants with a deeper understanding of Kainuu culture while lowering the threshold for visiting local museums.
The day began as planned with a bus trip from Kajaani to the Riihipiha Museum, located about 45 km away. Advance registration was required, and the bus quickly filled with enthusiastic participants. Most of the promotion took place through the internal channels of the Finnish Red Cross international group, but word also reached Kainuu Vocational College, from which several students joined the event.
During the bus ride, Kainuu Museum staff introduced participants to Kainuu’s local history, cultural characteristics, and shared engaging stories. Upon arrival, the group enjoyed an interactive and experiential tour, offering insight into rural life and livelihoods of the 19th and early 20th centuries. The tour included activity stations and hands-on experiences where visitors could participate in multiple languages and through different senses. After the guided portion, there was free time to explore the museum area independently. Upon returning to Kajaani, participants had the opportunity to attend the Kainuu Museum’s family day event.
Activities to Continue
Tapani Lintula, Director of the Kainuu Museum, described the Museum bus as an enjoyable and successful small project that achieved all its objectives. According to him, participant feedback was highly positive, and the event successfully encouraged new audiences to visit museums and learn about Kainuu’s cultural heritage. The project also fostered new professional connections and networks that will hopefully continue to grow in the future.
Kainuu is a geographically large region, and each municipality has at least one local museum. The activities tested in the pilot, as well as the new ideas it generated, can be used to plan various new initiatives around Kainuu’s museums. The concept is intended to be expanded during the Oulu2026 European Capital of Culture year, in which Kainuu is also involved. Through this pilot, cultural and museum services can continue to reach new user groups.
In fact, already in August, the At Home in Kajaani project organized its own trip to the Riihipiha Museum, building on the June pilot and attracting two full busloads of participants. For summer 2026, the Kainuu Museum is planning a similar trip to the Makasiini Museum in Sotkamo, in cooperation with the Sotkamo-Seura.
Power from new cultural experiments
The Kainuu Regional Council is participating in the Interreg Europe-funded CHERRY project, which aims to support the ability of the cultural industry and the cultural sector to survive after the COVID crisis. In spring 2025, the Regional Council of Kainuu implemented a call for small cultural experiments to be carried out under the project. A total of 25,000 euros was available for ideas that promoted cooperation between different actors and the promotion of Kainuu culture and cultural sites with new eyes.
“The aim of the pilot call was to reach new target groups, such as young people or people new to culture in Kainuu. Internationality was also sought in the implementation of the call in cooperation with the Friuli-Venezia Giulia regional administration,” says Minna Komulainen, project manager of the Cherry project from the Kainuu Region.
The following pilots were chosen to be implemented:
- Tapio’s Call – A Forest Escape Game in the Spirit of Kalevala.
The Juminkeko Foundation is creating a forest escape game that presents Kainuu’s nature and the mythical heritage of Kalevala from the perspective of youth and immigrants. This interactive game experience invites players to explore natural heritage sites and ancient stories in a new way. - Museum Bus – Discovering Kajaani
The Kainuu Museum is organizing a museum bus tour during Museum Week, transporting new Kainuu residents to the Riihipiha Museum. There, participants can dive into Kainuu’s cultural history through an immersive tour and get to know their new home region. The museum bus became so popular that it was immediately fully booked. - Riemurätke – Art and Community in Suomussalmi
The creative activity space Ränttälä ry brings vibrant programming to Ämmänsaari, including slam poetry, an outsider art exhibition, a Living Library event, a ’90s disco, and a carnival parade. This new event aims to engage a large number of community members, especially youth from remote areas, immigrants, and children and adults in need of support, giving them a voice through creative activities. The event will also feature a theme song, and a video artwork will be produced about the event. - Riihipiha Mysteries – Local Culture Digitally
A youth-planned escape game at the Riihipiha Museum combines local cultural traditions and digital stories. Collaborating with young participants, the game will narrate the everyday history of Kainuu through storytelling. - Kainuu Wolf School – Community and Adventure
The City Theatre of Kajaani and the Toisissa Tiloissa association take participants to natural heritage sites, where they hear stories and connect with the area’s history and ecosystem. - Illuminating Vuokatti Station’s Water Tower
The municipality of Sotkamo will celebrate the 100th anniversary of Vuokatti Railway Station by clearing its surroundings, illuminating the water tower with artistic lighting, and organizing a community event in September to prepare for Oulu2026. - History Comes Alive in Paltamo
The Paltamo Local History Museum offers a new experience by projecting photos, created in collaboration with youth, onto the museum’s windows. Artistic lighting and photographic displays at the museum provide a fresh way to experience the museum and its cultural heritage, drawing new visitors and offering familiar guests new perspectives. - Art Education Seminar
In the fall, the Kulttura Cultural Center invites educators to explore art-based pedagogy at Kajaani’s Art Campus workshops. Participants will engage in hands-on workshops focusing on cultural heritage, literature, and various art education methods.
