Courage, Freedom, Love! The Moomins 75 exhibition’s guided tours and events

GUIDED TOURS

Explore the exhibition with the help of an open introduction, a private guided tour or an audio guide!

Perspective on the Courage, Freedom, Love! exhibition
(in Finnish, in Swedish and in English)

In addition to being beloved children’s cartoon characters, the Moomins are also a philosophical perspective on humanity. The world of the Moomins offers adults much to think about regarding courage, love and freedom.

Open introductions to the exhibition, which all museum visitors are free to attend, are held in the museum’s Auditorium on Sundays at 12:00 and 13:00. The introduction is delivered in Finnish every Sunday at 13:00, in Swedish at 12:00 on odd calendar weeks and in English at 12:00 on even calendar weeks. The duration of the introduction is 20 minutes. Due to safety measures implemented in response to the coronavirus situation, the maximum number of participants is 20. Meeting groups can also order the introduction for a separate fee to complement their meeting day.

For inquiries and bookings, please see the Book a guided tour or a workshop page. Prices are listed on the Prices page.

With an Expert audio guide
(in Finnish, in Swedish and in English)

Take an expert with you to the exhibition via headphones! This audio guide features Moomin expert Sirke Happonen, who talks about her favourite themes in the Moomins stories and shares fascinating details about the work of Tove Jansson. You can borrow the audio guide device for the exhibition from the museum’s Entrance Hall.

Private guided tours for adult groups

Courage, Freedom, Love!

The Moomins 75 The world of the Moomins offers plenty to think about regarding humanity and the values of Finnish society. Maximum group size 20. Duration 30 min. For inquiries and bookings, please see the Book a guided tour or a workshop page. Prices are listed on the Prices page.

Private guided tours for teaching groups

Seeking Courage – activity-oriented guided tour

How are courage, freedom and tolerance reflected in the Moomins stories? What about in our society? This activity-oriented guided tour explores the history and the values conveyed by the Moomin stories created by Tove Jansson. The guided tour is suitable for both early childhood education and basic education groups. Maximum group size 25. Duration 60 min.

For inquiries and bookings, please see the Book a guided tour or a workshop page. Prices are listed on the Prices page.

Self-guided group visit to the exhibition

The Moomins exhibition can be explored without a guided tour under the supervision of a teacher during the museum’s opening hours. Self-guided group visits must be booked in advance. The number of visitors allowed in the exhibition has been limited due to the coronavirus situation, as a result of which the maximum group size is 20-25 and the visiting time is 30 min/group. Groups of pupils and their teachers are offered free entry to the museum. Self-guided workshop on the museum’s third floor.

The self-guided workshop challenges you to think about the things important to you. Come and create your own illustration installation or voice your opinion in the sign workshop. Take a seat in the ball chair, let your mind soar – or simply take a breather in the National Museum’s third floor.

EVENTS

That’s How You Get Seen and Heard! The Power of the Influence of Experience
Wed 23 September at 14–16
(in Finnish)

Many of us want to influence things that we find important. More and more people strive to change the exclusionary structures of society, the service system and other people’s attitudes by sharing their own life experiences.

Sharing difficult experiences takes courage. Especially since those who have faced difficulties in life and people living in marginalised positions often find someone else speaking on their behalf. Someone who is heard because of their position. Someone else, who supposedly knows better and speaks more ‘appropriately.’ This causes knowledge born from experience to remain hidden, even though it is precisely the thing that could increase people’s understanding of phenomena that have been swept under the rug. The rise of the influence of experience is paving the way for making experiences like homelessness, mental health problems and exclusion visible. And the means by which this is being done are incredibly creative! Traditional speeches delivered by experts by experience have been joined by walking tours, board games, experience clubs and social media stories. How and what is experience used to influence? How do the influencers themselves feel about what they are doing? What makes the influence of experience special? Come join the discussion and hear about people’s self-guided efforts to enact change! Come and shake up your own thoughts about influence! The event features influencers from various walks of life. The full event programme will be published in August! After the event, participants can join a Hima & Strada walking tour.

In association with Hima & Strada.

Autumn book club featuring Tove Jansson and the Moomins
(in Finnish)

In the autumn, the book club will be discussing the Moomins stories and the values and philosophy that they convey. Come and join the National Museum’s book club to read and discuss books over a cosy cup of coffee.

The book club convenes on the second Saturday of each month at 15–16:30 (12 Sep, 10 Oct, 14 Nov and 12 Dec).

See the book list (in Finnish) at: www.kansallismuseo.fi > Tapahtumat > Lukupiiri syyskuussa. The event is free of charge, no advance registration required. The exhibition can only be accessed with a museum entrance ticket.

Spotlight: Courage, Love, Freedom
(in Finnish)

This three-part discussion series focuses on straight and unabashed talk about courage, love and freedom. Are you allowed to love in Finland, when do the ends justify the means and is hate the modern equivalent of freedom? About Courage, Love, Freedom is a three-evening series all about discussing values, changing the world and humanity. To fuel the discussion, the sessions also feature thought-provoking performance art and introductions. Each evening concludes in a social debate session facilitated by the Timeout Foundation, which has only one goal: to increase understanding of yourself, others and the world. Entry to the event is included in the museum entrance fee.

Spotlight: Courage
Wed 30 Sep 15–17:30
(in Finnish)

Equal suffrage, the status of workers, equal right to marry or the independence of Finland – Finland as we know it would not exist without courageous, visionary and determined Finnish activists who occasionally tested the limits of what is considered appropriate.

What role has activism played in the national story of Finland? When do the ends justify the means? What kind of courage is required of an individual activist and how does one actually change the world?

The session gives the floor to activist Petra Laiti, poet Laura Eklund Nhaga, President Tarja Halonen – and you!

Spotlight: Love
Wed 28 Oct 17–19:30

Programme to be announced later.

Spotlight: Freedom
Wed 25 Nov 17–19:30

Programme to be announced later.

Gender and Sexuality in the Moomins Stories and the Life of Tove Jansson
Wed 9 Sep at 13–14
(in Finnish)

What are the gender roles of Moominvalley like and how is the name Mymble (Mymmeli) associated with sex? How are themes of sexuality presented in the Moomins stories and what was it like to live as an openly homosexual woman during a time when homosexuality was illegal?

Moomin Characters producer Nanette Forsström will hold a lecture on the topic and present pictures from the life of Tove Jansson on Wednesday 9 September at 13–14 in the National Museum’s Auditorium, as part of the programme of Helsinki Pride Week.

TOVE: Courageous, Beloved, Free presentation and discussion
Sun 13 Sep at 15
(event in Finnish, document has subtitles in English)

The life and art of Tove Jansson have left a permanent mark on Finnish cultural heritage. Many Finns grew up surrounded by the magical world and appealing philosophy of life of the Moomins. But what was Tove Jansson’s life like in Finland in the 1940s and 1950s? What aspects of Tove’s own values and worldview can be found in the Moomins stories?

This presentation to be held in the National Museum’s Auditorium on Sunday 13 September at 15 takes a peek behind the scenes of the film TOVE premiering in October and at the everyday life of Tove Jansson. The presentation will feature the first showing of the “making of” documentary of TOVE and scenes from the TOVE film directed by Zaida Bergroth. The documentary is 30 minutes in length and subtitled in English.

The presentation will be followed by a discussion session featuring director Zaida Bergroth, actor Alma Pöysti, who plays Tove Jansson in the film, and Moomin researcher Sirke Happonen, PhD.

TOVE will premiere in cinemas on 2 October 2020.

The Night of the Homeless Sat 17 October 2020
(in Finnish)

The United Nations’ International Day for the Eradication of Poverty on 17 October will once again be marked in the form of The Night of the Homeless at the National Museum of Finland and in different parts of Finland. This year’s theme is ‘home expensive home’.

In association with Vailla Vakinaista Asuntoa ry – VVA ry

Autumn Break at the National Museum of Finland
10–18 October 2020

Come and visit the Moomin-filled National Museum of Finland: there are things to see and experience in the spirit of courage, love and freedom for the whole family!

Check up-to-date event information at www.kansallismuseo.fi/en > events.

Christmas Break at the National Museum of Finland
19 Dec 2020–6 Jan 2021

Come and visit the Moomin-filled National Museum of Finland: there are things to see and experience in the spirit of courage, love and freedom for the whole family!

Check up-to-date event information at www.kansallismuseo.fi/en > events.

Winter Break at the National Museum of Finland
20–28 February 2021

Come and visit the Moomin-filled National Museum of Finland: there are things to see and experience in the spirit of courage, love and freedom for the whole family!

Check up-to-date event information at www.kansallismuseo.fi/en > events.