06/20/12
Summer exhibition offers a historical look at the Finnish maternity package
Summer exhibition offers a historical look at the Finnish maternity packageHooray for a good start!, anexhibition displayed at Virka Gallery inside Helsinki City Hall, takes a look at the history of the maternity package from the 1930s to the present. The exhibition will be open from 29 June to 2 September 2012.Additional information for customers:Hooray for a good start!, anexhibition displayed at Virka Gallery inside Helsinki City Hall, takes a look at the history of the maternity package from the 1930s to the present. The exhibition will be open from 29 June to 2 September 2012.
The maternity package is a product delivered through the Finnish social security system to more than 40,000 families each year. It is provided as part of the maternity grant programme introduced in 1938. Today, families can choose between the maternitiy package or a €140 cash grant.
The Hooray for a good start! exhibition takes a look at how the maternity package has changed over the decades. The maternity package remains rooted in the idea that all children should have an equal start in life.
The exhibition is not just about history but also shows the latest version of the maternity package, which was recently redesigned as part of a design competition that Kela organised for students of the Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture in autumn 2011.
During the exhibition, workshops will be arranged where visitors can use gauze to decorate a souvenir to take home for their baby or themselves. Gauze was selected as workshop material because it is a traditional and well-liked feature of the maternity package. Workshop schedules will be published on Kela's website at www.kela.fi/maternitypackage, on the Virka Gallery website at www.virka.fi and at www.living.aalto.fi.
The exhibition is being co-organised by Virka Gallery, Kela, and the student body of the Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture. It is part of the World Design Capital 2012 programme.
Additional information for customers:www.kela.fi/maternitypackageCustomer service number for families with children at 020 692 206, open Monday to Friday from 8 am to 4 pm
Exihibition Hooray for a good start!at Virka Gallery between 29 June and 2 September 2012Helsinki City Hall, Sofiankatu 1,www.virka.fiOpen Mon-Fri 9 am - 7 pm and Sat-Sun 10 am – 4 pm.Free entry.