Arts and Culture Funding to Reach Every Finnish Region

The Finnish Arts Promotion Centre for Arts and Culture announced new festival grants to support art and culture events nationwide, with funding aimed at established festivals of different sizes across Finland.

The grants are designed to secure broad access to the arts while supporting employment for professionals in the cultural sector. The agency said the support covers everything from smaller, key events within their art fields to festivals with regional and wider economic significance, as well as events that have national and international impact.

The centre awarded six new three-year grants. Among the recipients are Anti Contemporary Art Festival in Kuopio, the Black and White Theatre Festival in Imatra, and Oulun Musiikkivideofestivaalit in Oulu.

In addition, 77 one-year festival grants were handed out. While some larger sums went, for example, to Savonlinna Opera Festival, Tampereen teatterikesä, and Kuhmo Chamber Music Festival, the press release notes that grants are typically under 50,000 euros.

New one-year grants were awarded to Konneveden Naistenviikko, Sensommar Film Festival in Porin Reposaari, and Åland Jazz. The agency also said that six previously supported events returned to funding, including Forssan silent film festivals and Volter Kilpi Kustavissa literature week.

Taide- ja kulttuurivirasto director of arts funding Henri Terho said many festivals have developed their programmes over the years, but that due to the state budget situation, funding levels have not been increased for a long time. He added that the centre gave more weight to regional economic and broader national and international effects, but that several high-quality festivals are still left without support because reduced appropriations make financing more difficult. The press release states that changes are driven by the application criteria, a more detailed assessment of applicants’ financial situations, and evaluations based on renewal, impact, and responsibility, with the available appropriation for two years reduced by over half a million euros.