Cultural diversity in Finland: Opening up the field for foreign-born artists

Abstract

In 2018, around 7% of the population of Finland was born outside Finland, and this proportion is rising. Specifically, foreign-born artists have sparked discussion about the difficulties they experience in gaining entry to the cultural field as well as funding opportunities in Finland. This article reports on the ‘Opening’ research project (2017–2019), which investigated the situation of foreign-born artists in the Finnish arts and cultural sector. The major factors creating inequality for all artists in Finland are insufficient funding, fierce competition, and different forms of discrimination. The foreign-born artists face additional difficulties due to language issues, merits, such as educational degrees, gained from outside Finland, closed networks, and ethnicity-based discrimination. The research was financed by the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture, and it was carried out by the Center for Cultural Policy Research Cupore.