The Finnish Cultural Foundation’s new website has been launched at skr.fi. The new website is designed to be clearer and easier to use for different user groups. One of the aims was to make it easier for grant applicants and grantees to navigate the site. This is why the sections on grants in particular have been significantly developed.
We also wanted to improve the site’s navigation, visuals and accessibility, as well as to better highlight our topical content.
As a basis for the redesign, we conducted an extensive user survey of the previous skr.fi website. During the construction phase of the new site, we also tested its designed structure with users and gathered feedback on how to improve navigation, among other things. Our partner in the website renewal has been Redandblue.
The development of the site will continue after the launch. Content will be added, especially in English, many details will be fine-tuned and further development projects will be launched. Other language versions will also be added in the future.
Now that the site is live, we welcome feedback from users on all aspects of the site: new solutions, texts, visuals and overall functionality. We also very welcome any observations about any bugs, errors or problems with the site.
Feedback can be sent to tiedotus@skr.fi. If you have feedback about a specific page, please include the URL address in your email.
Altogether 152 post-doctoral scholars from around Finland took part in the autumn application round. The number of applicants increased by 31 % from the previous year. A grant could be awarded to almost 16 % of the applicants.
The Pool has a role in making Finnish research more international. After thirty application rounds nearly 800 scholars have already received funding through the Pool for a research period abroad (i.e. outside of Finland). One third of the grantees have received a two-year funding.
During the Pool’s upcoming three-year-period 2025-2027 there will be thirteen foundations involved, allocating altogether 3.2 million euro annually to post-doctoral scholars heading abroad from Finland. The research periods vary from 6 months up to 24 months.
The Pool’s next application round will take place from 1 January until 31 January 2025, when some 1.6 million euro will be given in grants. The results of this round will be published by May 2025.
The Finnish Foundations’ Post Doc Pool has proven to be an important instrument of research funding which has enabled young scholars with families to finance research periods at top universities abroad. The grants awarded by the Pool are determined flexibly in accordance with the applicant’s needs and they often include their family’s moving expenses and children’s day care or school fees.
The Finnish Foundations’ Post Doc Pool was set up in the autumn of 2009. During the current three-year-period 2022-2024 there were thirteen foundations involved, allocating altogether 3.25 million euro annually to the pool. The Pool’s foundations are Ella and Georg Ehrnrooth Foundation, Emil Aaltonen’s Foundation, Alfred Kordelin Foundation, the Foundation for Economic Education, Päivikki and Sakari Sohlberg Foundation, Finnish Academy of Science and Letters, Finnish Cultural Foundation, the Finnish Medical Foundation, Swedish Cultural Foundation in Finland, the Society of Swedish Literature in Finland, Finnish Foundation for Technology Promotion, Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation and the Ulla Tuominen’s Foundation.
Further information: www.postdocpooli.fi, info(at)postdocpooli.fi or from coordinator Mikko-OlaviSeppälä, tel. + 358 400 868 006
In the autumn of 2025, the Finnish Cultural Foundation is set to launch the Mirjam Helin Academy, an initiative that seeks to provide further education for ambitious young singers and to support them in the formation of their artistic identity. The Mirjam Helin Academy will provide a two-year programme, and teaching will be given in intense weekend sessions and at summer courses to be held across Finland, in collaboration with leading Finnish practitioners in the field.
When it comes to classical music, Finland is widely known as a small country that punches well above its weight, a country that produces many acclaimed conductors, singers and musicians for the world’s leading orchestras and the stages of the most prestigious opera houses.
“Finnish musicians already have a very good reputation, but we also need to take some practical steps to foster and nurture exceptional talent. We have decided to make a significant investment in this new educational initiative to help support young singers in their journey towards an international breakthrough,” explains Susanna Pettersson, CEO of the Finnish Cultural Foundation.
The Mirjam Helin Academy welcomes applications from all talented students of classical voice and young professionals in the field whose aim is to reach the very highest standards of excellence. The application period will commence in January 2025. The selected students will study topics including performance, putting together a programme, vocal technique, and many associated skills required in the music industry. The Finnish Cultural Foundation will cover all the students’ expenses.
“We do not want to restrict applications too much, for instance by imposing an age limit. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and from all regions of Finland. Attaining the skills and qualities necessary for an international career is possible regardless of one’s background; drive and commitment are far more important factors,” says Pettersson.
Soprano Camilla Nylund. Photo: Anna S.
Among the teaching staff at the Mirjam Helin Academy will be one of our most acclaimed international stars, the soprano Camilla Nylund, currently enjoying a busy and successful career at some of the most prestigious opera houses in Europe.
“A singer’s career is about much more than just singing. You need to be able to construct your day-to-day life around singing. In the throes of a demanding competition, you must be able to find a space where your own voice and experience can shine through. The Mirjam Helin Academy has carefully considered the best ways to support young singers in their growth and development. I can’t wait to find out what kinds of voices we will have the pleasure of working with,” Camilla Nylund explains.
The teachers at the Mirjam Helin Academy will be recruited from the very top of the music profession, and they include opera singers, conductors, directors, musical experts and professionals. One of the teachers will be the bass-baritone Luca Pisaroni, who was one of the judges at the International Mirjam Helin Singing Competition in the summer of 2024.
The Finnish Cultural Foundation continues its support for music
The Finnish Cultural Foundation has long supported and championed the full spectrum of musical life in Finland. One particularly apt example of this is its support for the International Mirjam Helin Singing Competition, one of the most prestigious classical singing competitions in the world. Many of the competition’s prize winners have gone on to have stellar singing careers. The Finnish Cultural Foundation has resolved to invest in the competition even further, and as a result the competition will now be held every three years.
In October 2024, the Finnish Cultural Foundation announced that it will support the foundation of a new opera laboratory at the Finnish National Opera and Ballet with an endowment of 1.2 million euros. The aim of the laboratory is to create new contemporary opera by facilitating collaboration between a wide array of artists and practitioners, thus simultaneously helping to increase diversity within the opera world.
As with the International Mirjam Helin Singing Competition, the Mirjam Helin Academy will be funded via the Mirjam and Hans Helin donor fund. The aim of this fund is to support the singing competition, to award grants and bursaries to singing students and to artists and initiatives within the classical-music field more broadly. The fund is named after Mirjam Helin (1911–2006), who made a significant donation to the Finnish Cultural Foundation. She was a renowned singer and much-loved voice pedagogue with a passion for teaching, a profession in which she continued until she was over 80 years of age.
Mirjam Helin Academy
A two-year programme for classical singers
Weekend sessions and summer courses in different parts of Finland
This is a new initiative proposed by Thomas de Mallet Burgess, Artistic Director at Finnish National Opera, that is designed to explore the challenges and opportunities in the writing and development of new opera for our time and place with Finnish composers, writers, directors and dramaturgs.
It is hoped that this investment in artists creating and developing new work will serve the future of the art form, its audiences and Finnish artists, including voices new to the art form of opera.
Each year, a maximum of 12 people will be selected for the programme of masterclasses, workshops, mentorships and short practical performance outcomes. These people will then form four 3-strong teams that will include a composer, a writer and a director or dramaturg. Previous opera experience is not required.
Multiple experts with first-hand experience of creating new work internationally will be involved in the process at different points. In addition, experts will make up a panel responsible for selecting the participants for the programme. Other parties involved will include singers as well as technical and administrative personnel from the Finnish National Opera and Ballet.
The new opera writing laboratory, officially The Sugar Factory New Opera Laboratory, is named after the Töölö Sugar Factory, which used to operate on the current site of the Opera House until 1965.
“We hope this opportunity opens opera to a diversity of creative voices and acknowledges the power of sung theatre to tell our stories. The Sugar Factory New Opera Laboratory recognizes opera’s history as an art form that placed the development and presentation of new work at the heart of its social and cultural relevance. Our guiding principle is that opera is written collaboratively by artists for audiences in a way that is meaningful for our time and place”, says Thomas de Mallet Burgess, Artistic Director of the Finnish National Opera.
Opportunities for versatile talents
The main purpose of the programme is process however it is anticipated that four short new contemporary operas will be an outcome each year. At the same time, the programme seeks to increase the art form’s diversity and inclusion. The new topical and hopefully ground-breaking and extraordinary works will be presented to the public in the Almi Hall of the National Opera as work in progress.
Co-funded by the Finnish Cultural Foundation, the programme will be launched in autumn 2025, and the first new works will be staged in spring 2026.
“Initiatives like Sugar Factory are needed in Finland right now. Opera lives strongly in time and we want to do our part to create opportunities for a competent and multi-voiced group of performers. The goals of the Finnish Cultural Foundation include promoting national and international breakthroughs. Trying something new is often a decisive step on this path, says Susanna Pettersson, Chief Executive Officer of the Finnish Cultural Foundation.
The Finnish Cultural Foundation supports science, art and culture with about EUR 60 million every year, of which about EUR 24 million is open for applications this October. The October call receives around 10 000 applications each year. In recent years, around one in ten have received funding.
“We encourage people to look far ahead and apply for example for grants for long-term development of events and touring of performances throughout Finland, as well as for multi-year work in general,” says Juhana Lassila, Deputy CEO of the Finnish Cultural Foundation.
Applications are welcome from all fields of science and arts, either for the work itself or to cover expenses. Academic grants are particularly aimed at doctoral and post-doctoral academic work. Artists may apply for work or project grants, while artistic communities may apply for cultural projects.
The Finnish Cultural Foundation also awards multi-year grants in all fields of science and art. Applications can be made for as many as four years at a time. The annual grant is EUR 32,000 and EUR 36,000 for the postdoctoral stage.
In addition to general grants for science and arts, the Finnish Cultural Foundation also focuses its support on specific themes. In this round, these include applied research to support mental health in children and young people.
In some situations, being able to read emergency exit can be a lifesaver. Hence reading can be considered a survival skill.
But it’s much more than just that. Minna Torppa, professor of educational sciences specialised in reading, writing, and learning difficulties at the University of Jyväskylä, notes that society in practice, and particularly in this day and age, runs on literacy. Everyday life, education, work, and the service system as well as keeping up with and taking part in society all require reading.
Minna Torppa talks about the experience of self-efficacy, which plays a significant role in what one decides to do.
Reading isn’t just about understanding what different characters mean together as words, phrases, and sentences.
On top of basic reading skills, there are also functional reading skills, such as reading comprehension and combining and evaluating information.
“And then there are critical reading skills,” says Torppa. “It takes a fair bit of reading and knowledge to be able to search for, compare, and assess information and distinguish, for example, misinformation and disinformation or propaganda from accurate and reliable information.”
Concerns over weakening literacy
As literacy is a necessity, plain language can be seen as an act of equality. Torppa notes that particularly when it comes to public services, providing them in plain language is one way of ensuring inclusivity.
“Both the need for and challenge of clarity are particularly apparent, for example, in the communication of matters regarding legal texts. Legal texts are complex and precise, but instructions based on them must be clear and unambiguous so that the reader can understand them.”
Not only immigrants studying Finnish or people with learning difficulties benefit from plain language. According to the most recent PISA study, published late last year and measuring the skills of young people, the reading skills of Finnish youth had weakened significantly since the previous evaluation.
“When reading skills are weak, it can affect not only education and work but also everyday life in general.”
Torppa points out that the PISA study measures reading comprehension. She, too, is concerned by the results, as they also show a widening gap between strong and weak readers.
“We can no longer be proud of the number of weaker students being small in Finland in comparison to other countries. When reading skills are weak, it can affect not only education and work but also everyday life in general.”
The deterioration of reading skills has been partially blamed on difficulty in focusing on a task and lack of persistence to finish it. According to Torppa, research shows that there are links between attentiveness, perseverance, and reading. For example, reading and internalising lengthy instructions can be strenuous, if one has trouble concentrating.
Supporting self-efficacy
Plain-language literature provides easy access to practising and developing reading skills. When Finnish language skills are weak or it’s difficult to concentrate on a book, the threshold for reading a book in standard language might become too high.
Torppa talks about the experience of self-efficacy, which plays a significant role in what one decides to do. Self-efficacy arises not only from previous experiences but also from various internalised beliefs. Sometimes it’s based on a more certain knowledge, sometimes on assumptions that can be challenged.
“I don’t embark on a marathon because I don’t think I can do it. Similarly, someone won’t start reading a book because they believe it’s too difficult for them.”
Being able to read through a plain-language book proves that reading an entire book is possible. When reading gets easier, it usually becomes more interesting, and through more practice also reading skills start developing.
A pathway towards standard language
Plain-language books are often mentioned when schools are criticised for lowering their standards. Torppa understands the criticism, but she points out that not all literature needs to be written in plain language. If anything, plain-language books can be an introduction to the world of literature.
“Plain language can be a gateway to reading in standard language,” she says.
“Accessible plain-language literature enables a lot of things.”
The aim is to further study the motivating force plain-language books might possess. Literature isn’t only about acquiring and building up knowledge; it’s also deemed to develop empathy and emotional skills, as books can offer peer support as well as open new horizons and thus increase understanding of oneself and others.
Torppa emphasises that plain language shouldn’t replace standard language.
“But accessible plain-language literature enables a lot of things. It’ll be interesting to see how plain-language books are being used in schools, for example.”
The 80,000 plain-language books donated by the Finnish Cultural Foundation were introduced in Finnish secondary schools in the autumn of 2024, in response to concerns about the declining reading skills of young Finns and the continuing challenge for schools to make literature accessible to all.
Those with a keen eye may have already caught a glimpse of the Finnish Cultural Foundation’s new visual identity. The new colours, typography and logo will be in use in the October round of applications and other communications starting from August 2024.
The look will be introduced gradually across all communication channels. For example, it will be fully visible on skr.fi in December when the redesigned website is completed.
The new logo will be available to grantees and collaborators in September at skr.fi/logos. They can use it, for example, in their publications, presentations or communications.
Something new and something old
The new visual identity supports the Finnish Cultural Foundation’s values and strategy, which were established in the spring of 2024. While embodying renewal, it carries the foundation’s origin and traditions.
The evolution of the Finnish Cultural Foundation logo from 1937 to 2024.
The new logo provides continuity with previous versions. The strong oak tree is still easily recognisable, but the simplified logo works well not only in print, but also in digital channels, where the Finnish Cultural Foundation now meets the majority of its grant applicants and other stakeholders.
The familiar shades of green remain, but are accompanied by a wider range of colours. The typography aims for clarity and readability. The new visual identity will bring together the broad and diverse activities of the Cultural Foundation in a visually consistent package.
The new visual identity was designed by N2 Albiino.
Anna Kulju, LL.M, MSc, will take up her post as Director of Legal Affairs at the Finnish Cultural Foundation on 1 September. She comes to the foundation from Hypo, where she has worked as senior legal counsel, data protection officer and contact person for the prevention of terrorism and money laundering for the Hypo Group. Previously, Anna Kulju has worked as a legal specialist at Nordea and Danske Bank, mainly in family and inheritance law.
Anna Kulju feels that at this point in her career, moving to a new environment is particularly interesting. “It is great to bring my professional skills and experience to a new community and to meet new people and challenges,” she says.
“For me, the content and relevance of the work is very important. Especially now, when there are so many cuts in cultural funding, I am particularly keen to work for culture and science. Literature, culture, science and the arts in their various forms have always played a big role in my life,” says Anna Kulju.
Tommi Tähtinen
Tommi Tähtinen, MSc, will take up his position as Investment Director at the Finnish Cultural Foundation on 1 November 2024. He joins the Foundation from Aktia Bank, where he has worked as Head of Asset Allocation since 2017, and before that as a Portfolio Manager. Prior to that he worked at Kaupthing Bank and Evli, among others.
“The Finnish Cultural Foundation is an organisation I have known for a long time, having had the opportunity to work with the current asset management team. I have a high regard for the foundation as a long-term investor and a broad-based player,” says Tommi Tähtinen.
“The Finnish Cultural Foundation’s large investment portfolio offers the opportunity to learn a lot of new things, even though my own knowledge is diverse and up to date. I am also looking forward to seeing how the world of culture, science and art opens up through the Foundation and its stakeholders”.
“Our long-standing Directors of Legal Affairs and Investment are due to retire shortly. We were pleased to see a high level of interest in the open positions. I am delighted that Anna Kulju and Tommi Tähtinen will bring their experience and expertise to our skilled team,” says Susanna Pettersson, CEO of the Finnish Cultural Foundation.
The post doc grant may be used to cover all expenses to the researcher and his/her family caused by living abroad. Instructions on how to draft a cost estimate are included in the section “How to Apply?” on the Pool’s home page: www.postdocpooli.fi. Online applicant info will be held on Aug 22th at 9-10 AM.
Säätiöiden post doc -pooli has two application rounds each year and awards some 35 post-doctoral grants in each round. The spring 2025 application round will most likely take place from 1 Jan until 31 Jan 2025.
The Säätiöiden post doc -pooli consists of thirteen foundations allocating altogether 3.25 million euro annually to the pool. The Pool’s foundations are now Ella and Georg Ehrnrooth Foundation, Emil Aaltonen Foundation, Alfred Kordelin Foundation, the Foundation for Economic Education, Päivikki and Sakari Sohlberg Foundation, the Finnish Academy of Science and Letters, the Finnish Cultural Foundation, the Finnish Medical Foundation, the Swedish Cultural Foundation in Finland, the Society of Swedish Literature in Finland, the Finnish Foundation for Technology Promotion, Ulla Tuominen Foundation and Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation. The Pool aims to make Finnish research more international by offering young scholars flexible funding from one source that covers all expenses of a research period abroad.
The Finnish Foundations’ Post Doc Pool was founded in 2009 to support researchers and Finnish research in becoming more international. During this time, the Pool’s foundations have granted over 40 million euros to post doctoral researchers heading abroad from Finland. After twenty-nine application rounds, already over 770 scholars have received funding through the Pool. Over one third of the grants have been awarded for two-year periods.
Further information about the Pool and the application round is available on the Pool’s website at www.postdocpooli.fi, and by e-mail from info@postdocpooli.fi and from co-ordinator Mikko-Olavi Seppälä, tel. + 358 400 868 006.
Meri Toivanen, originally from Kajaani in Finland, has lived in Belgium for the past six years.
Finnish cultural history is a recurring theme in Meri Toivanen‘s paintings. She reinterprets imagery from Finnish post-war films through metaphors found in the gaming world.
The visual artist, originally from Kajaani in Finland, has lived in Belgium for the past six years. Toivanen feels that being away from her homeland has increased her interest in it.
“This new context has made me research my family’s history and Finland’s cultural history through films. Both have connections to the threat and uncertainty of the Winter War, which feels current again because of the war in Ukraine,” she says.
The 27-year-old Toivanen graduated two years ago with a master’s degree in painting from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp. It is where the great Finnish artist Albert Edelfelt studied history painting in the late 19th century with the support of a state scholarship.
Soon after graduating, Toivanen was offered a part-time position to teach figure drawing at the academy. At the same time, Toivanen is building her career as a visual artist.
So far, opportunities have been many. Toivanen has participated in duo and group exhibitions in Luxembourg, Belgium, Finland, and Denmark. However, she acknowledges the challenges many artists experience at the early stages of their careers.
“The biggest fear for many young artists is the void following graduation. I had quite a good continuity; I built my network during my studies and held exhibitions. For me it was quite easy, but it has been challenging too trying to find my place in a new city,” Toivanen says.
Residency provides new opportunities
For the time being, Toivanen plans to stay in Antwerp. She enjoys the city’s diverse art scene, and feels that a degree in fine art is highly valued.
At the beginning of next year, Toivanen will take the next step in her career by starting a five-month residency at MORPHO in Antwerp, enabled by the Cultural Foundation’s Residency Programme.
Toivanen managed to build networks during her studies and held exhibitions already in the beginning of her career.
During this time Toivanen plans to work on a project titled Let the Sleeping Dogs Lie, where she explores the concept of power through metaphors and symbolism. At the end of the residency, Toivanen intends to hold her first solo exhibition.
In addition to delving into her own work, Toivanen looks forward to encounters with local and international artists and curators, and visits to local museums and galleries included in the programme.
“Studying was a wonderful social time. I’ve dreamed of being able to go back to an environment where there is a community feel. It’s great that I get to connect with other artists again and see their creative processes. A new environment will surely spark new ideas too,” she says.
Final outcome surprises
While in the residency, Toivanen wants to explore new working techniques too. She does not use an easel but often works on the floor, aiming to complete a painting in one sitting.
The paints Toivanen uses are often very fluid, which causes them to move and spread across the painting’s surface, making the final result hard to control.
“I have the right to fail when I paint, and during my studies I learned not to be attached to the outcome. The painting is done in one layer, and if I am not happy with it, I can just wipe everything off and start again. Painting doesn’t always succeed, which is also interesting,” she says.
In addition to oil paints, Toivanen uses self-made pastels, ink, gouache, and watercolours. During the residency, she also plans to create figurative sculptures. Ceramics is a new medium for Toivanen, who has explored its qualities during summers spent in Kajaani.
For her, one of the hardest things is knowing when a work is finished.
“As a student I was required to produce a lot at a fast pace. After graduation, I’ve had my own peace and space to work, and I haven’t felt the pressure to finish what I do within a certain time. Now I have the freedom to focus on the process in the moment, and that is the most important thing.”
