Up until recently, the situation in Finland has been relatively favourable for creative professionals, with multiple streams of funding available through foundations, each tailored to different art fields and genres. However, due to the country’s current economic instability, the Finnish government is proposing unprecedented cuts in the funding for culture. These cuts are disproportionate and short-sighted and will strike at the very foundations and framework of Finnish cultural life. In response to these cuts, artists will need to become more resourceful to secure financial support for their artistic practices. Relying solely on public funding is neither practical nor sustainable, and we will soon witness a growing divide among creative professionals.
In light of this, Post Theatre Collective and Globe Art Point are launching a series of lectures and workshops aimed at exploring diverse funding systems for arts and culture professionals. The series will kick off on 27 November with an information session on how to seek sponsorship from private individuals and companies. The second session will focus on European funding opportunities, highlighting initiatives such as Creative Europe and the New European Bauhaus. The final session will feature speakers from Nordic Culture Point and the Nordic Culture Fund, offering insights into Nordic funding options.
These sessions will be conducted in English and are free of charge with registration. Some will take place at Post Theatre Collective’s premises in Kallio, while others will be hosted by Globe Art Point in Kamppi. A remote option will be available for those outside the capital region or unable to attend in person. Please note that remote participation will allow attendees to listen to the event content but will not include the option to comment or ask questions to the speakers.
Event Calendar:
27.11. Sponsorship for Creative Professionals 16-19.00, Pengerkatu 11a 3, 00530 Helsinki / Zoom
10.12. European Level Funding 16-19.00, Pengerkatu 11a 3, 00530 Helsinki / Zoom
28.1. 2025 Nordic Level Funding for Individuals 16-18.00, Pengerkatu 11a 3, 00530 Helsinki
WORKSHOP #1. SPONSORSHIP FOR CREATIVE PROFESSIONALS
Date: 27.11. 2024
Time: 16:00-19:00
Place: Post Theatre Collective, Pengerkatu 11a 3, 00530 Helsinki.
Registration Deadline: November 25, 2024
Registration Link: https://forms.gle/E8rbCPbK9W7zbUjS7
What does sponsorship and corporate cooperation bring to your mind?Fundraising and diversification of funding is an issue that all cultural organisations and all players in the sector are currently considering. The aim of the workshop is to provide participants, from all fields of arts, with a basic understanding of business partnerships in all their different forms.
Business cooperation can be a means of creating economic flexibility or can have other important benefits. However, not everyone has the necessary conditions, need or desire to implement it. However, it is good to be able to identify attitudes and personal development needs based on knowledge of both one’s own will and the typical forms of business cooperation.
During the sponsorship workshop, you will hear briefings on:
- What are the forms of corporate cooperation: sponsorship, gifts and other forms of cooperation.
- What is the motivation for cooperation for companies and what they expect?
- How to go through the process of sponsorship: packaging, benefits, selling and agreements.
- How to work together with a company and give the benefits planned.
You will also learn about plenty of case studies. Besides lecturing, the 3 hour workshop will include group work, Q&A and discussions.
* Online participation is possible!
We are streaming this event to enhance accessibility, as we believe everyone should have the opportunity to listen to the content wherever possible. However, please note that remote participation will be limited to listening only, as the programme includes exercises that require participants to be physically present at the venue. Onsite participation is strongly encouraged! Please also be aware that this event is not recorded, and the use of AI note-takers is not permitted due to intellectual property rights considerations.
About the workshop facilitator Outi Raatikainen
CEO of Pink Eminence Ltd, cultural business management consultant Outi Raatikainen (architect, MBA) is a specialist in events and cultural fields plus combining arts and business. She has a strong expertise in business concept planning, strategy work, cultural entrepreneurship, marketing communications, fundraising and sponsorship.
Outi follows the development of cultural issues and the event industry at domestic and international levels. Pink is an active member of the Event Industry Association and SPOT (Sponsorship and Events Association). The company operates in a network-like manner in its own daily life and uses partners in different contexts.
Pink has drawn up concepts for fundraising, business cooperation and sponsoring partnerships over the past 17 years for numerous cultural customers across Finland. Outi also teaches sponsorship regularly at the University of Arts Helsinki and open university. Outi Raatikainen is also the Chairperson of the Finnish Art Society, founded in 1846.
WORKSHOP #2: EUROPEAN LEVEL FUNDING FOR ORGANISATIONS
As the creative sector in Finland faces a shifting landscape due to financial cuts in cultural funding, it has become increasingly vital for organisations and professionals to explore diverse funding sources to sustain their practices. The European Union provides a range of funding opportunities for creative projects that prioritise collaboration, sustainability, and innovation. This workshop will introduce participants to these opportunities and offer critical insights into accessing European-level funding.
The workshop features three expert speakers, each presenting a different aspect of EU funding. Together, they will provide an overview of initiatives that can help organisations navigate the complexities of European cultural funding.
Programme Overview
16:00 – 16:45
EU’s Creative Europe – Support for European Cooperation
Speaker: Riikka Koivula, Creative Europe Desk Finland / EDUFI
Riikka will delve deeper into the Creative Europe programme, specifically highlighting the CULTURE strand. Participants will gain a detailed understanding of funding opportunities for European cooperation projects that foster cross-border cultural exchange, collaboration, and innovation.
16:45 – 17:00
Break
17:00 – 17:45
Introduction to Creative Europe Fundings
Speaker: Mathilde Palenius, Independent Producer
Mathilde will kick off the workshop with a broad overview of the Creative Europe CULTURE strand, focusing on European cooperation projects and the Culture Moves Europe initiative. Her presentation will address both the opportunities and challenges of applying for EU funding, offering practical advice and critical insights for organisations seeking to work on a European scale.
17:45 – 18:00
Break
18:00 – 18:45
Going Bauhaus? – Multidisciplinary European Initiatives for Sustainability, Public Space and Local Communities
Speaker: Mika Savela, Arts Promotion Centre Finland (Taike)
Mika will close the workshop presentations with an introduction to the New European Bauhaus initiative. This segment will explore the programme’s core values of sustainability, aesthetics, and inclusion, showcasing how creative organisations can align their projects with this transformative movement.
WORKSHOP #3 NORDIC LEVEL FUNDING FOR INDIVIDUALS
Date: 28.1. 2025
Time: 16:00–18:00
Place: Post Theatre Collective, Pengerkatu 11a 3, 00530 Helsinki
Registration Deadline: 26.1. 2025
Registration Link: https://forms.gle/TgGgacSUx86yTLzc9
As cultural funding within Finland faces new challenges, exploring opportunities on a Nordic level can provide invaluable support for individual artists and cultural professionals. This event will highlight funding options available through Nordic Culture Point and the Nordic Culture Fund, focusing on initiatives designed to foster mobility, collaboration, and innovation across Nordic countries.
PROGRAMME OVERVIEW
16:05 – 16:35
Presentation of the Nordic Culture Fund and current funding programmes
Speakers: Anni Syrjäläinen, Senior Adviser & Annemette Friis, Senior Adviser
16:35 – 16:45
Q&A
16:45 – 17:00
Break
17:00 – 17:30
Exploring Funding Options with Nordic Culture Point
Speaker: Anna Skogster, Senior Adviser
Nordic Culture Point is an institution of the Nordic Council of Ministers which works to support Nordic co-operation within the areas of culture and civil society. Anna Skogster will present the grant programmes that are administered at Nordic Culture Point and provide some tips for writing a good application.
17:30 – 17:40
Q&A
17:40 – 18:00
Time for an open discussion
18:00
Door Closing
SPEAKERS
Anni Syrjäläinen
Anni is a Senior Adviser and Deputy Director at the Nordic Culture Fund in Copenhagen. She is responsible for developing the Fund’s strategic framework and managing the Nordic Culture Fund’s global initiative Globus. Anni has an educational background in social sciences and music, and she has previously worked with strategic communication and as a musician in both Finland and Denmark.
Annemette Friis
Annemette is a Senior Advisor at the Nordic Culture Fund working with developing and strengthening the arts and cultural field through the Fund’s programmes and strategic initiatives with a focus on partnerships, Nordic-global collaborations, structural change and policy development enhancing the role of culture. Annemette has a background in Visual Culture and Art & Politics and has previously worked in philanthropy and held positions at different art institutions in Denmark nurturing artistic development and knowledge production.
Anna Skogster
Anna is a Senior Adviser at Nordic Culture Point administrating funding programmes for arts and culture. Her expertise lies in helping individual artists and small cultural organisations navigate Nordic-Baltic funding opportunities, focusing on mobility and network-building initiatives. Anna is also a part-time literary translator.