Arts and culture in FinlandLasipulloja

The abundance of cultural institutions and the comprehensiveness of the cultural institution network are typical of Finland's arts and culture scene.

The range of cultural offerings is broad-scoped, and citizens actively participate in cultural services. The Ministry of Education and Culture does its part to support the conditions for these activities. The Ministry has e.g. drawn up art form-specific programmes and policies for the promotion of art.

There is a functioning library in every municipality in Finland, a museum in most municipalities, but you'll only find a theatre and an orchestra in the largest municipalities. The state participates in the funding of general cultural activities as well as the costs of maintaining theatres, orchestras and museums in municipalities by granting statutory state-subsidies and grants. Each industry's organisations and other actors are awarded discretionary grants on the basis of applications.

The ministry's agencies operate in different areas of arts and culture. The most important of these are

The arts council system, which awards grants funds to artists based on peer assessments, operates as part of Arts Promotion Centre Finland.

The Finnish Film Foundation, the National Gallery, the Finnish National Opera and the Finnish National Theatre are all under the Ministry of Education and Culture's performance management, as they are for the most part funded by the State.