Separate grant call for the implementation of Culture Kids activities opens on Wednesday 1 April 2026

Culture Kids is an operating model coordinated by the City of Helsinki under which all children born in Helsinki from 2020 onwards are invited to become Culture Kids. Culture Kids are invited to two events each year until they start school. The events are free of charge for families.

The Culture and Library Sub-committee decided at its meeting on 17 March 2026 that the Culture Kids service will continue from 2027 onwards as a permanent service coordinated by the City of Helsinki. Future Culture Kids activity organisers are being sought through an open grant call opening on Wednesday 1 April 2026. The special grant for Culture Kids activities will primarily be awarded for three years, so activity organisers are now being sought for the period of 2027–2029. The grant is an imputed grant, meaning that the grant amount awarded depends on the number of times that the activity is organised, the target group and the content of the activity.

Accessibility, child-centredness and diversity of art forms emphasised in the assessment criteria

The assessment criteria for applications include diversity, accessibility and inclusion in the planning and implementation of the content, the child-centredness of the activity, understanding of the children's culture operating environment and experience in event production. The City is hoping to also receive applications from operators specialising in creative movement and physical expression.

The aim is to create three themed paths for families based on the content of the events: a music path, a performing and literary arts path and a cultural heritage and visual arts path. Individual children can stay on the same artistic path as they grow up, if they so choose. Because of this, we are hoping to receive applications for a wide range of content from different art forms for different ages.

The deadline for applications is Wednesday 22 April 2026 at 16.00. Applications from arts and cultural operators will be assessed in two phases. The grant recipients will be chosen in the first phase, which will start after the deadline for applications passes. The grant amounts will be decided in the second phase, which will take place in autumn 2026.

The City of Helsinki will organise two information sessions on Teams about the call with the same content for all interested parties: the first on Wednesday 1 April at 16.00 and the second on Friday 10 April at 10.00. Links to the Teams events can be found at the bottom of this article.

Culture Kids events will be organised not only by the recipients of the special grant for Culture Kids activities, but also by operators receiving institutional grants for culture as part of the appropriation for institutional grants. In addition to them, Culture Kids events will be organised by some of the City of Helsinki’s own services; primarily culture and leisure services. The Culture Kids activities of these services are funded from their own budgets. The special grant is not used to fund the City's own service provision. Culture Kids activities are coordinated by the Annantalo Children and Youth Art Centre, which is part of the City of Helsinki’s cultural services.