The creative sector has a major impact on the vitality of Helsinki. Representatives from the industry and the City of Helsinki have been working together to find new ways to utilise the industry’s potential. These ideas are now being implemented.
The City commissioned a report on growth potential in the creative sector in order to gain a better understanding of its own role in developing the growth and vitality of creative industries. The report was published earlier this spring.
What do operators in the sector have to say about the report now?
Executive Director Matti Numminen from Avate says that commissioning the report was essential.
“There has thus far been no explicit business approach to creative industries in Helsinki. The City now has a chance to stand out among its peers thanks to a sustainable strategy for the creative sector. It is a good place to start.”
Avate, headed by Numminen, is a copyright association for screenwriters, actors and directors.
He says that creative industries are concentrated in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area and in Helsinki, in particular. Industry training is available in Helsinki, and many professionals stay in Helsinki after finishing their studies. Most of the production companies are also located in the capital.
However, the potential of creative industries could be utilised much more than at present in all of Finland, in addition to Helsinki. Numminen refers to a recent study by ETLA Economic Research from last year, according to which “compared to Sweden, Finland has done miserably in investing in and utilising intangible factors of production.”
Founder Miia Haavisto from film production company Tekele agrees with Numminen. According to her, Helsinki has great potential in utilising creative industries, and vice versa.
“I am from Helsinki, and I have a very strong local identity as well as the opportunity to influence where stories are told. I want my company to be a successful business based in Helsinki, a company that creates jobs and business opportunities for subcontractors, as well.”
Cultural Director Mari Männistö from the City of Helsinki says that the City genuinely wants to identify and take on the correct role in the facilitation and support of growth in the creative sector.
The City commissioned the report also because it wanted to listen to insightful thinkers and makers, entrepreneurs and other operators instead of conducting research for research’s sake. The City wanted to ask the sector for more insight on what kind of tangible things the City should promote.
Nearly one hundred specialists representing creative industries were interviewed for the report.
“The interviews focused on business policy, because the funding landscape in the cultural sector is undergoing major changes. As a city, we want to ensure a well-functioning cultural sector in the future,” Männistö says.
The creative sector has a major, comprehensive impact on local vitality. An attractive culture and arts sector increases the need for restaurant and hotel services along with improving the quality of life for the residents of Helsinki. The positive impact of culture on well-being is backed by science.
The report on creative industries listed a set of proposals concerning the offering of spaces and funding for new types of competitive tendering schemes.
When asked about ways of supporting operators in the creative sector, Numminen from Avate does not hesitate in naming one effective way:
“The production incentive is an important instrument for screenwriters, actors and directors. We want it to be directed towards local productions to allow industry professionals to work in their own field in the Helsinki economic region.”
According to him, calculations show that funders will actually have a 1.4-fold return on their investment when using the incentive.
Haavisto from Tekele says that when considering the location of events in a film, the decisions are influenced by a large number of factors in addition to support and costs.
Smooth interactions with authorities and permit processes are a key aspect of the planning and production of TV series and films.
According to her, the City seems to have made efforts to dial down on the bureaucracy.
“I have had meetings with people from different City divisions. Together, we have discussed the ways in which shooting periods could be facilitated and how the City could answer all our questions on a one-stop-shop principle. It has been wonderful to see that the City wants to make an effort.”
According to Haavisto, it is very important that she has key people in the City organisation who she can call and ask for help.
Naturally, when deciding on productions, locations and landscapes are important. But production also wants to know whether there are available office premises nearby during the shoot and how quickly authorities will respond to questions and process applications, etc.
Männistö says that – thanks to the report – the audiovisual industry incentive has already been brought up in the City Council.
The new City Council elected in the municipal election this spring will decide on the new City Strategy and the next budget this autumn. Männistö hopes that they will encourage the fostering of potential in creative industries.
“Nevertheless, we can and we will continue our work. We are e.g. involved in the process of hiring a project director for the Economic Development unit to focus on promoting growth in the creative industries.”
The City organisation, together with the Urban Environment Division, has already recruited an employee to increase the City's understanding of the facility needs of art and culture and to help creative sector actors find suitable temporary facilities.
Männistö also suggests that, as a major purchaser of services, the City could take advantage of the problem-solving abilities of the creative sector and, as a result, introduce innovative solutions to the City organisation.
Numminen from Avate says that the corporate world could also benefit from the creative sector. The recent report also talks about cross-pollination when different skills collide and enrich each other through fresh perspectives.
“Creators in the cultural sector are able to think in creative ways. They have plenty of untapped potential,” Numminen says.
According to Numminen, new and insightful views could be obtained from them e.g. in the planning of companies' brand strategies or in making communications more vibrant in a more diverse and interesting way.
A lot of good things are already happening. In addition to simplifying bureaucracy in the City as mentioned by Männistö, Numminen highlights examples of the City's courage in
implementing Central Library Oodi, and when it comes to smaller pilots, a pilot named ‘90 Day Finn Digital Creative’.
The pilot was tailored to international corporate leaders, serial entrepreneurs, investors and innovators in collaboration with Helsinki Partners, which is owned by the City. The City wanted to showcase the benefits of doing business in and investing in Helsinki to the visitors.
The participants were able to familiarise themselves with Helsinki's business ecosystem and Finnish culture.
Special Planning Officer Taina Seitsara from the City of Helsinki Economic Development unit says that the pilot has resulted in at least two production companies in Helsinki. They have also hired their first employees.
She points out that the City organisation must constantly carefully consider its role in facilitating things.
“We can do more and more things together with operators and businesses in the sector and look for new ways of developing an ecosystem that serves large groups.”
The report on creative industries serves as support material for this discussion. Seitsara is pleased with the positive reception of the report. It is no wonder, as the people involved in creating the report donated their time and competence to the people drafting the report.
“The sector is full of visionary, talented and innovative people who have created their own careers and built international networks,” Seitsara says.
She noticed that it was important for the sector to find out what could be done in cooperation with the capital city precisely in this moment of time.
Text: Kirsi Riipinen