Funding of children’s culture
In Finland, children’s culture is financed by the Ministry of Education and Culture, Arts Promotion Centre Finland and various foundations.
Ministry of Education and Culture
The Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture grants subsidies for cultural centres for children as well as for nationwide art and culture events for children. The funding of children’s cultural centres aims at promoting children’s equal access to art and culture nationwide, supporting the operation of children’s cultural centres as well as their networking.
Arts Promotion Centre Finland awards various grants and subsidies available for actors in children’s culture.
Regional art committees award the actual targeted subsidies and grants for children’s culture. The purpose is to offer children and youth artistically ambitious art, performed by professionals. Projects which let children and youth work as active participants are prioritised.
The Finnish Cultural Foundation awards grants for all fields of culture. The work may be carried out either in Finland or abroad. In the field of art, the foundation grants awards for work, various projects and, to a limited extent, studies. The foundation has reserved a separate sum for grants in children’s culture. The Finnish Cultural Foundation is the principal financier of Finland’s largest cultural campaign for adolescents, Art Testers.
Private foundations and funds
Some private foundations and funds support also children’s cultural activities. Aurora database can be used for searching for funding opportunities in sciences, arts and culture. The database includes Finnish and foreign funding organisations and programmes, which are available for Finns or those residing in Finland. The database is available for use free of charge.
