Activities that emphasise the wishes of the local community are part of the cultural centres’ new vision.
Our goal is for the services provided by cultural centres to better meet the wishes and needs of customers in the area, and for all city residents to be able to easily participate in their activities, says Head of Division Juha Ahonen.
The City of Helsinki's cultural centres currently include library, cultural, youth and liberal adult education services. You can learn more about the centres' vision and its priorities at Kulttuurin ja vapaa-ajan julkaisut | Helsingin kaupunki
Residents involved in event planning
In line with the new vision, Kanneltalo, Malmitalo, Stoa and Vuotalo will host more events planned and organised in cooperation with local residents. As an example of this new direction, Malmitalo will host a Celebration of Light from 21 to 22 November, which was planned in cooperation with local residents and operators. The residents' wishes included a communal brunch featuring cuisines from different countries, dancing, poetry recitals and a quiet space for relaxation, among other things. The aim of the Celebration of Light is to fulfil as many of the residents' wishes as possible. The Celebration of Light aims to bring light and warmth to the darkest time of the year and reach out especially to multilingual families with children living near Malmitalo.
Cultural centres seek new art through an open call
Kanneltalo, Malmitalo, Stoa, and Vuotalo will launch a new performing arts residency and work call for professionals in theatre, contemporary dance and contemporary circus at the beginning of November. The works will premiere at the cultural centres during the 2026–2027 season. One of the important tasks of the centres is to support the field of culture and arts by providing facilities and work opportunities for Helsinki-based artists.
We want to offer city residents new and current performing arts. At the same time, we are supporting art and culture professionals, says Kanneltalo’s Producer Maria Junno.
The open call for performing arts at Kanneltalo, Malmitalo, Stoa and Vuotalo will open on 3 November 2025. For more information on the call, please visit the centres' websites at kanneltalo.fi, malmitalo.fi, stoa.fi and vuotalo.fi.
