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Taustalla sininen taivas, etualalla harmaalla sanoja

The Empathy Council

Kymenlaakso Fund’s project develops methods for investigating and increasing empathy through artistic approaches.

Taustalla sininen taivas, etualalla harmaalla sanoja

Information about the project

The multi-year empathy project launches in January 2025 within the structures of regional decision-making by founding The Empathy Council. The Empathy Council invites Kymenlaakso’s current and future leaders and decision-makers from all municipalities in the region to come together to consider the role of empathy and the need for it in Kymenlaakso, the regional culture of decision-making, collaboration and conversation.

Enni-Kukka Tuomala is from Kotka, lives in London and works internationally, is responsible for the project. She is the world’s first Empathy Artist. Tuomala’s multidisciplinary art practice has long been focused on investigating the relationships between empathy, power, space and systems.

The time of being pitted against one another is over said a politician, but should the reality of politics change from celebratory speeches to reality?”

Tiina Kirvesniemi The Chair of the Kymenlaakso Regional Fund

The goal is to increase regional unity and community spirit

The council will aim to address the need by developing shared approaches and methods for increasing empathy and co-operation in the area. The Empathy Council will be made of elected members of the local councils and youth councils, as well as civil servants from all six municipalities. They will act as the advisors as well as the audience for the first phase of the project.

The question raised in the project is, that could decision making and the resulting decisions be of a higher quality, more long-lasting and advance causes better, when they are built on empathy and cooperation.

In the future the activities can expand from councils to new contexts and destinations around the region.