As 2025 unfolds, many European countries — including Austria, Germany, and Finland — are announcing cuts to arts and culture budgets. The cultural sector argues that access to arts is a fundamental right, yet without strong legislative support, it often falls down the priority list.
In Finland, arts and culture organizations are anxiously awaiting news on their annual government grants. Larger institutions, such as museums, orchestras, and theatres, face the toughest cuts, as they are often seen as the only viable sources of savings. These reductions will have a significant impact on children, especially those in vulnerable situations, as free performances and audience engagement programs are often the first to be cut.
Despite these challenges, there are still many exciting developments in Finland for children and youth. The Art Testers program, coordinated by the Association of Children’s Culture in Finland (ACCF), continues to offer cultural experiences to all 8th graders. The upcoming 2025–26 season will be particularly special, as it aligns with Finland’s 750th Church Anniversary and Oulu’s designation as a European Capital of Culture, both of which will be reflected in the Art Testers program. Additionally, we are actively working to improve accessibility to arts and hobbies both in Finland and across Europe.
At ACCF, the year has started with enthusiasm—we are busy writing project proposals and launching new initiatives. In the past weeks, we have kicked off two significant projects:
- Mind the GAP (a Creative Europe project focused on arts and accessibility)
- A national initiative mapping the needs of municipalities and welfare regions for early childhood cultural education.
On a European level, we are closely following the advocacy work of Culture Action Europe and the European Network of Cultural Centres, which has recently strengthened its voice in European cultural policy discussions.A famous Banksy mural once said:
“The ‘Earth’ Without ‘Art’ Is Just ‘Eh’.”
Without arts and culture, what are we left with? Now, more than ever, we must stand together to ensure that every child and young person has access to meaningful cultural experiences.
Featured photo: Participants at the Mind the GAP project meeting in Krakow in January 2025.
Aleksi Valta,
Director of the Association of Children’s Culture in Finland
