Taike decides on distribution of appropriations for 2025 among forms of support and specific artforms
Parliament decided before Christmas on the appropriations to be used by Taike for promoting the arts and culture in the 2025 budget. Based on this, Taike has made its own decision on the distribution of appropriations among forms of support and specific artforms. Taike’s decision on the distribution of appropriations clarifies the policies made and communicated in December.
Appropriations for promoting the arts and culture include a relative reduction of approximately 4.6 million euros compared to 2024, taking into account the new applicants that have been transferred to Taike and changes in the budget structure.
The smallest cuts, approximately 4 percent, affect operational subsidies for specific artforms. Taike is prioritising operational subsidies in its distribution of appropriations in order to ensure the basic structures of the free arts sector, in addition to which, operational subsidies for communities also support the employment and livelihood of artists.
The biggest cuts affect project grants for specific artforms, subsidies for promoting inclusion and cultural wellbeing, and subsidies for promoting cultural diversity and combating racism, all of which will receive approximately 25 percent less funding compared to 2024. The cut in appropriations for project grants will affect artists and working groups, who also have the opportunity to apply for other Taike grants.
According to the state budget, resources for statutory artist grants, library grants and public display grants remain the same, and a total of approximately 19 million euros has been allocated for these. In 2025, a total of 545 artist grants and 22 Artist Professor grants will be paid, and decisions will be made concerning approximately 2.7 million euros in library grants and 960,000 euros in public display grants.
Operational subsidies for specific artforms total 13.8 million euros
Within operational subsidies for specific artforms available to communities, Taike is increasing funding for media art and artist-in-residence programmes, which have been underfunded in relation to the potential number of applications. Media art has previously accounted for an exceptionally small share of funding, and Taike also wants to take into account the impact of the halving of the level of private copying compensation on other support for media art. Artist-in-residence subsidies are broadly targeted at activities in different fields of the arts throughout Finland and also support internationalisation.
The biggest cuts, approximately 5–8 percent, affect appropriations for design, circus art, theatre and music. Appropriations for design are being cut on the grounds that business support is available within this sector. Cuts to the performing arts are being made due to the fact that, following the reform of central government transfers, the state budget no longer includes appropriations allocated to Taike, which amounted to 3 million euros last year. Taike has allocated this reduction among all artforms, but relatively most to the performing arts and music. In addition, new applicants have been transferred to Taike from the Ministry of Education and Culture. Cuts to the music sector are slightly smaller than those to the performing arts, as Taike wants to take into account the impact of the halving of the level of private copying compensation on other support for the music sector.
The total amounts in operational subsidies for specific artforms are listed in the table below.
Project grants and regional grants for artists
For grants to individual artists, Taike is making a 25 percent cut in project grants for specific artforms and a 10 percent cut in regional grants.
A total of 2.6 million euros will be awarded in the form of project grants for specific artforms intended for artists and working groups, which is approximately 870,000 euros less than in 2024. Allocations for architecture, cinema and art journalism will remain unchanged, taking into account the changes related to the number of applications. The biggest cuts, amounting to more than 30 percent, will be made to project grants for the visual arts, music, theatre and dance art.
Regional grants will be awarded to support the work and projects of artists and working groups. Taike will allocate 2.2 million euros for regional grants, which is approximately 240,000 euros less than in 2024.
Thematic subsidies for communities
Taike also awards thematic subsidies, allocations for which will be reduced by 20.7 percent from the comparable level in 2024. Taike is targeting smaller cuts to festival subsidies (10,5 %) and general grants for cultural magazines and online publications (15 %). Taike is focusing on festival subsidies and general grants for cultural magazines in its distribution of funds on the grounds that festival subsidies are distributed exceptionally widely across Finland, and general grants for cultural magazines have a special social significance in terms of freedom of expression and democracy.
Appropriations for project grants for children’s and youth culture will be 21 percent smaller than in 2024. However, the calculated change is smaller, as children’s culture festivals can apply for support in the form of festival subsidies this year. Also, in addition to thematic subsidies, Taike also distributes funding to children's culture annually through its other calls for applications. For example, in literature, artist grants are awarded to children’s writers, music grants are also awarded to children’s music creators, and theatre grants and subsidies are awarded to children’s theatre professionals. The vitality of children’s culture is therefore comprehensively secured by Taike’s grants and subsidies.
Appropriations for subsidies for promoting inclusion and cultural wellbeing and subsidies for promoting cultural diversity and combating racism are subject to cuts of 26 percent. Typically, inclusion and cultural wellbeing applicants also have access to other public funding, although this form of support includes very different types of applicants. The cuts target, for example, cultural wellbeing project activities, as well as arts and cultural organisations that promote recreational activities. The decrease in support for cultural diversity is primarily based on the change in the number of applicants.
Taike has already announced that no funding will be allocated for “Percent for Art” projects for 2025. It is also possible that state and regional prizes will not be awarded.
Further information:
Henri Terho, Head of Arts Support, [email protected], t. +358 295 330 901
Table: Taike’s appropriations by form of support and artform in 2025 (comparable figure for 2024)
- Operational subsidies for specific artforms: 13 787 000 € (14 369 000 €)
- Architecture: 20 000 €
- Cinema: 615 000 €
- Literature: 135 000 €
- Visual arts: 1 310 000 €
- Media art: 150 000 €
- Multidisciplinary art: 262 000 €
- Design: 190 000 €
- Music: 1 325 000 €
- Illustrations and Comics: 60 000 €
- Circus art: 1 120 000 €
- Dance art: 3 300 000 €
- Theatre: 4 250 000 €
- Photographic art: 500 000 €
- Artist residencies: 550 000 €
- Special subsidies for communities: 500 000 € (995 000 €)
- Project grants for specific for artforms: 2 615 000 € (3 491 000 €)
- Architecture: 35 000 €
- Cinema: 90 000 €
- Literature: 150 000 €
- Visual arts: 520 000 €
- Media art: 140 000 €
- Multidisciplinary art: 160 000 €
- Design: 185 000 €
- Music: 450 000 €
- Illustrations and Comics: 150 000 €
- Circus art: 70 000 €
- Art journalism: 35 000 €
- Dance art: 180 000 €
- Theatre: 300 000 €
- Photographic art: 150 000 €
- Regional grants: 2 200 000 € (2 440 000 €)
- Art prizes: 40 000 € (380 000 €)
- Subsidies for children’s and youth culture: 400 000 € (510 000 €)
- Festival subsidies (incl. children’s culture festivals): 4 017 000 € (4 491 000 €)
- Cultural magazines and online publications: 680 000 € (800 000 €)
- Subsidies for promoting inclusion and cultural wellbeing: 1 500 000 € (2 023 000 €)
- Subsidies for promoting cultural diversity and combating racism: 500 000 € (683 000 €)
The news article has been corrected on 17 January regarding the budget for cultural magazines and online publications. The budget in 2024 was 800,000 euros, not 744,000 euros, as stated in the news article published on 16 January. Accordingly, the budget cut for cultural magazines and online publications in 2025 amounts to 15 percent.