As a following of The Leap, “What Now?” is an event organized by TIAN (Theatre Academy’s Alumni Network), Globe Art Point, and Think Africa, focusing on how legislative changes affect international artists in Finland while also creating a space for community care. The event took place on November 5, 2024. However, we still find it important to reflect on it.
Alex/GAP: Thoughts and Impressions
This was my second event focused on the theme of legislative changes in Finland. It all began with Gesa Piper from the Teak International Alumni Network of Uniarts Helsinki reaching out to Globe Art Point with a proposal for collaboration. At the time, none of us had a clear vision of what this collaboration would entail, but the goal was clear: to bring fresh perspectives and discuss the current state of the arts and culture sector under the leadership of Prime Minister Petteri Orpo representing the conservative National Coalition Party (Kokoomus) that forms a coalition government with the right wing True Finns (perussuomalaiset) and the Swedish People’s party (Suomen ruotsalainen kansanpuolue) since 2023.. The atmosphere was charged with electric, negative energy, underscored by the racist undertones associated with the True Finns’ influence.
The first event, The Leap, took place in February. At that point, very little was known about the impending changes to the rights of international professionals living in Finland. Our discussions (read more: https://www.globeartpoint.fi/news/blog/article-afterthoughts-on-the-leap-event/) were largely hypothetical, responding to the limited legislative proposals that had been made public at the time. Six months later, as we produced What Now?, we were much better informed about the implications of the changes and the critical information we needed to share with our community.
Think Africa, which had been independently organising similar events, joined forces with us, lending their expertise to this continuation of The Leap. Together, we worked to raise awareness of the legislative changes that international professionals should consider if they wish to continue living and working in Finland. This second event focused heavily on resource sharing and community building, fostering a much more optimistic and empowering atmosphere by its conclusion- a result that left me feeling accomplished.
Alex/GAP: What Remained Unsaid
One critical aspect that went unexplored during the event was the perspective of institutions on these legislative changes and how they align with their operational realities. Initially, we invited the Ministry of Education and Culture to participate, but finding a representative comfortable speaking on the topic proved difficult, as the Ministry itself does not directly influence legislation.
The Finnish Immigration Service (Migri) faced a similar challenge. In 2023 (when The Leap was being planned), they declined to participate, stating they were not prepared to take a public stance on the proposed changes. Unfortunately, this remained the case for What Now?, with Migri once again declining to join, though they promised to reconnect for a follow-up event in the spring.
Finally, we reached out to the Ministry of Justice. However, due to time constraints, they were unable to process our request in time to participate. What’s the takeaway from this experience? When working with institutions, it’s crucial to extend invitations well in advance- ideally with at least three months’ notice. Without adequate lead time, even the most well-intentioned invitations risk being overlooked.
Gesa: Thoughts and Impressions
It felt important to have a follow up of the Leap event in February. In February, we basically gathered as much information as we could at that point in time. “What now?” offered more concrete information. Daniel’s opening with his art, multilinguistic poetry, video and sound piece on burning moved me deeply. It directly addressed the violence of censoring artistic expression and multicultural voices in a very visceral way. Hanna Laari then offered very concrete information on which policy changes are directly concerning international artists and who can be approached to ask for support. Sofia Achame-Räisänen addressed the importance of voting: she clarified that also the municipal elections affect our reality which we can vote for even without a Finnish citizenship. Finally the collective Sub-verse facilitated a discussion with all the participants, in person and also online, for everyone to share experience and information on community resources. Sub-verse is a group of four artists and art practitioners (AK, Essi, Isabela and Yasmin) who have gathered around questions about inclusivity in the arts, making room for alternative structures, and how to survive in a system not designed for all. They hope to engage more people in these conversations and to build community.
My impression was that the participants left more empowered and informed not only on how they are affected but also about what they can do and possibly how they could self-organize. Although I imagine that also a lot of concern and further questions were aired. I was pleased that the participants were not only artists from the capital area but also connected from smaller towns and shared their perspectives, and also Finnish officials were present.
Gesa: What Remained Unsaid
All in all, I am very content with the event. Many communities on the margins are struggling with the same issues. Instead of all trying to figure out how to deal with the changes in politics within our own bubble, it seems very reasonable to me to combine our networks. One aspect that I would like to develop more is the combination of these different marginalized bubbles, such as the African diaspora that Think Africa addresses and the international artists. It might seem that this event is only for artists. Therefore, people who are not professional artists might feel that this is not for them, although the policies affect them in a way that their ways of living their lives are very compromised and censored. I believe that one overarching problem is the censorship of multiple coexisting forms of cultural expressions and therefore, it would make a lot of sense to bring these different bubbles together, in my understanding.
Rong: What I find the most useful from the event
What Now was helpful to me because it provided a concrete and more detailed understanding of what’s actually happening outside the academic world. Having knowledge about the recent legislative changes definitely helps to prepare better for life after graduation, as it often takes a long time to meet the necessary requirements—for example, obtaining a residency permit or a permanent residency permit.
I believe that in times when legislation is undergoing significant changes, it is crucial to have a platform where people can seek information, feel supported, and be understood. These processes are often complicated and confusing, leading to a lot of frustration and anxiety.
What Now event was divided into several parts: an opening speech by Daniel Malpica, a session on legislative changes affecting creative professionals in Finland by Hanna Laari (executive lawyer at the Finnish Refugee Advice Centre), a talk by Think Africa, and a discussion by Sub-Verse.
Even though the legislative session was primarily for creative professionals, much of the information was also relevant to those working outside the cultural sector. The presentation covered detailed topics, such as the income threshold required for a work permit and how it varies across different regions in Finland. This kind of information is often difficult to find when searching independently.
Overall, these legislative changes by the current Finnish government are highly unreasonable and exclusive, and it was difficult to discuss them without emotions running high. However, the What Now event provided a space where we could face these realities, prepare for them, and remind ourselves that there is still room to dream, to support, and to be supported.
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Gesa – (alumni point of view, freelance artist point of view, Uniarts institution, on collaboration)
Alex – (producer’s/co-organisers point of view) – collab background & story
Rong – (non-EU student’s point of view) – how the event is helpful for international students and how it can be developed