Cultural Policy Research in Finland

The project charted both ongoing and recent research into cultural policy and policies relevant to culture in Finland. The work was carried out in May – November 2011 by gathering information from the Websites of universities, polytechnics and other central research institutes concerning both their current and completed research activities and research projects. The most important sources of financing such research were also charted.

The results of the project have been collected in a report in Cupore’s Web publication series published in 2012. The report is available in Finnish only.

The project updates in part Ritva Mitchell’s 2001 report Kulttuuripoliittinen tutkimus Suomessa (Cultural Policy Research in Finland) but, as is pointed out in her foreword to the report, research in the field over the past ten years has experienced a considerable metamorphosis. Mitchell sees the greatest change as taking place in the university sector in which research relevant to cultural policy has increased dramatically and has also specialized regarding themes covered. Research areas on the rise have included cultural diversity, multiculturalism, creative economy, creative fields and innovative environments.

The project was predicated on the need to build a cultural policy database in Finland.