Experience Economy Research Program goes Tokyo, Japan. Doctoral researcher Heini Merkkiniemi participated in the international seminar Imagine Everyday! Outsider Art Finland.

The Seminar brought together Finnish and Japanese businesses, researchers, events and artists.

“Imagine Everyday!” seminar, held at Tokyo Midtown Design Hub on December 4th, 2025 brought together creative businesses, artists, researchers, and advocates from Finland and Japan to explore inclusivity within the experience economy ecosystems and creative industry drivers sparking societal change.

Connecting Finland and Japan for Inclusive Innovation

The seminar fostered collaboration between Finnish and Japanese outsider art agencies. Heralbony (Japan), Pertin Valinta and Outsider Art Festival OAF (Finland) showcased pioneering work in diversity, inclusion in the creative industries.

The “Imagine Everyday!” seminar, brought together creative leaders and researchers from Finland and Japan to explore how art can drive societal change, particularly in disability employment and socially sustainable business models. The event featured organizations such as Heralbony from Japan and Pertin Valinta / Outsider Art Festival OAF from Finland, both pioneering new approaches to inclusion and creative entrepreneurship. The seminar was part of Outsider Art Festival’s popup events and the “Imagine Everyday!” art exhibition at Heralbony Gallery, supported by the Finnish Embassy, Cultural Institute in Japan and several Finnish cultural foundations: Saastamoinen foundation, Frame Finland, The Finnish Film Foundation, The Arts Promotion Center, Taike, The Finnish Cultural Foundation, Autism Foundation and the Santa Claus Foundation.

Seminar was a part of Finnish Cultural Export Project in Tokyo.

Jaakko Nousiainen, Director of the Finnish Institute in Japan, opened the seminar by emphasizing the importance of international collaboration in advancing social change through art. Sami Helle, founder of Pertin Valinta and a well-known disability activist, shared his personal journey and described how his social enterprise empowers artists with disabilities through a gallery, shop, radio show, and the annual Outsider Art Festival OAF. Heini Merkkiniemi, director of OAF and doctoral researcher at Tampere University, presented research on inclusive strategy processes that enable outsider artists to design and produce festival experiences, demonstrating the impact of collaboration between industry insiders and outsiders. Ryotaro Kamada, project manager at Heralbony, showcased projects that bring outsider art into public spaces and everyday products, challenging perceptions of disability and illustrating art’s transformative power. Satu Tani, artist and doctoral researcher in Lapland University, discussed the social agency of neurodiverse artists and highlighted the need for support and visibility.

Panel Discussion & Key Takeaways

The Japanese audience was enlightened by artist Maima Tani's Breathing Reef collection.

Overall, the seminar was a call to action, sharing best practices, innovative business models, and personal stories to show how art can drive more inclusive societies and sustainable businesses. It underscored the role of research, policy, and grassroots activism in shaping the future of creative industries. The panel discussion explored challenges and solutions for inclusion and disability employment in the creative industries in Finland and Japan, highlighting the importance of amplifying marginalized voices and building international partnerships.

As the event concluded, one message stood out: when art, business, and research unite across borders, they can spark real change. The collaborative work of industry pioneers and researchers offer inspiring examples of how creativity and inclusion can build a better future for all.

See the event page here.

More pictures in the Heralbony's Instagram page.