Taike further clarifies distribution of appropriations for 2025

Taike will make its final decisions on the distribution of appropriations after Parliament has approved the 2025 budget. Taike will announce the impact of the decision on appropriations for specific artforms after the turn of the year.

Appropriations for 2025 are divided into three entities. According to the government’s budget proposal, resources for statutory artist grants, library grants and public display grants will remain the same, and a total of approximately 19 million euros will be allocated for these.

The relative reduction in Taike’s other discretionary grants totals 4.6 million euros, taking into account the new applicants that have been transferred to Taike and changes in the budget structure. The relative reduction in appropriations for the promotion of the arts is approximately 2.8 million euros (approximately 13 percent) compared to 2024, and 1.8 million euros (approximately 20 percent) for the promotion of culture.

Appropriations for arts promotion to focus on operational subsidies

Appropriations for discretionary government grants for promoting the arts in the government’s budget for 2025 total 19,142,000 euros.

Taike has already announced that it aims to secure total resources for operational subsidies awarded to arts communities as much as possible, and that cuts of approximately 3–5 percent will be made to 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.

Special subsidies for communities have now been changed to provide support in the form of development subsidies. A total of 0.5 million euros will be allocated for these, which is approximately half of the amount previously awarded as special subsidies. Development subsidies aim to support the renewal and long-term development of the arts sector, as well as new collaborations between communities.

A 20–25 percent cut will be made to project grants for specific artforms and regional grants awarded to individuals, which means a reduction of approximately 1.3 million euros.

Due to the cuts in appropriations for next year, Taike has prepared to suspend state prizes and regional art prizes for 2025.

Appropriations for promoting culture will focus on support for festivals and cultural magazines

The government’s budget proposal has allocated a total of 7,097,000 euros for cultural inclusion and accessibility. Taking into account the new applicants that have been transferred to Taike, this corresponds to a cut of approximately 20 percent compared to last year’s appropriations.

Taike aims to distribute the appropriations among the different forms of support in such a way that cuts in appropriations for festival subsidies and general grants for cultural magazines and online publications are smaller than for others, approximately 10 percent. Taike is focusing on festival subsidies and general grants for cultural magazines in its distribution of funds due to the fact 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.

Correspondingly, Taike is cutting appropriations for project grants for children’s and youth culture, subsidies for promoting inclusion and cultural wellbeing, and subsidies for promoting cultural diversity and combating racism by approximately 25 percent. Taike has already announced that it will not award project grants for “Percent for Art” projects for 2025.

The focus of cultural appropriations aims to secure the regional balance in funding. At the same time, however, it is clear that the cuts will also lead to challenging situations. According to Taike’s estimate, approximately 100 fewer subsidies for communities and grants for artists will be awarded compared to last year. The cuts will have a direct impact on the work opportunities of artists and the nationwide availability of art and culture.

Further information

Kaisa Rönkkö, Director, t. +358 295 330 874, [email protected]