The Finnish Parliament discussed the Cultural Policy Report (Kulttuuripoliittinen selonteko) on February 19, 2025. This report sets long-term goals for Finland’s arts and culture policies and guides future decisions on funding and cultural programs.
During the session, many members of parliament (MPs) spoke in support of children’s arts and culture. Politicians from different parties confirmed that there have been no budget cuts to children’s arts and culture, nor will there be any in the future.
Several MPs highlighted the importance of children’s culture, including Fatim Diarra, Chair of the Board of the Association of Children’s Culture in Finland and MP, and Minister of Science and Culture Mari-Leena Talvitie. Other MPs from different parties also spoke about the subject, showing wide support for ensuring all children have access to arts and culture.
Speeches in the session pointed out that all children and young people have the right to experience and create art. Some MPs also mentioned successful programs such as Cultural Education Plans and the Art Testers program, which give children access to arts and culture during school days.
The Role of Children’s Art and Culture in Finland’s Future
In its statement on the Cultural Policy Report, the Association of Children’s Culture in Finland emphasised that culture, education, and science form the foundation of a sustainable, thriving, and evolving society, where people feel included and have trust in their community. For this reason, children and young people must be raised as both creators and experiencers of arts and culture, as this ensures the future of Finnish cultural and intellectual life.
Improving access to culture strengthens participation, well-being, and equal opportunities, while also helping to prevent growing inequalities and the loss of trust in society.
The Association’s key views were reflected in several parliamentary speeches. MP Fatim Diarra, highlighted the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which guarantees every child the right to participate in cultural life. She pointed out that the best way to ensure all children experience culture is to integrate it into early childhood education and the school day. Diarra urged that this must be taken into account in the Cultural Policy Report’s implementation plan.
The Association of Children’s Culture in Finland will propose that the implementation plan include various pedagogical and digital solutions for cultural education, such as:
- Cultural Education Plans (Kulttuurikasvatussuunnitelma) should be included in school curricula to make sure that all children, no matter where they live, can experience and create art and culture.
- The Art Testers(Taidetestaajat) program should receive permanent state funding. Right now, it is supported by private cultural foundations (the Finnish Cultural Foundation and Svenska Kulturfonden), but long-term funding from the state is needed to make it sustainable.
- School Cinema Association (Koulukino). The Koulukino streaming service provides films and learning materials for schools. This service should continue to receive funding to make sure students and teachers have access to high-quality films.
- School Concerts by the Concert Centre Finland (Konserttikeskus) should continue. These concerts bring live music to schools, allowing students to experience professional performances.
These measures support early childhood and basic education curricula and help students develop skills and literacy needed in a democratic society.
The Association of Finnish Children’s Cultural Centers is grateful to the MPs for their support. However, at the same time, budget cuts to the wider cultural sector have been made. As some MPs said during the session, real commitment to culture can only be shown through action.
Children’s culture is one of the most cost-effective investments in the arts sector. However, it does not exist on its own—it needs a strong cultural sector to support it. Without artists and cultural professionals, there is no high-quality children’s culture.
The discussion in Parliament gave confidence that the action plan will strongly support children’s culture. The Association of Children’s Culture in Finland and its network stand ready to contribute to this work.
