Children’s culture is talked about, but neglected in the budget – keeping subsidies unchanged is cutting back

Lahti is organising a children’s winter carnival in the old style, as the city wants to invest in children. However, the cuts in culture are still reflected in the cultural offer for children in Häme, too.

Lahti decided that the appropriations for children’s culture would not be touched. One proof of this is the ongoing Children’s Winter Carnival, which is being held for the 42nd time.

Lasting just over three weeks, the Children’s Culture Festival is an event built through a wide network of partners. The main target group is children and young people, both as audience and performers.

He estimates that in Lahti, a total of more than €100 000 is spent on children’s culture through various actors.

Marja-Liisa Hilander looks at the granddaughter Isla Häsä reads at the Lahti City Library Children's Department. — The children’s carnival programme is organised at Lahti Main Library, among other places. Marja-Liisa Hilander has taken part in a musical storytelling session with her granddaughter Isla Häsä.

It is difficult to calculate the budget and subsidies for children’s culture, as cultural subsidies are granted to many actors. These include libraries, theaters, orchestras and museums that organize children’s events among others.

The supply of children’s culture is reduced as such actors have to reduce their activities due to cuts.

Holding back is cutting back

The state has not cut the children’s culture. Still, keeping the general grants remain the same is a reduction when it is proportional to the increased production costs of the industry.

Lahti Winter Carnival. — Pumpuli was one of the Super Theatre productions at the Lahti Children’s Winter Carnival.

Part of this is due to the campaigning of the Children’s Culture Association to promote municipal cultural education plans.

The tightening of the resources is reflected in Hämeenlinna’s children’s culture. In 2024, the ministry grants were received by EUR 20,000 less than before.

– The city of Hämeenlinna was able to compensate for the reduction in its own economy. This ensured the quality of children’s culture services and their continuation, says Haveri.

Professionals in distress

The works and performances of children’s culture are largely made by professional artists. When the operating conditions of artists in different fields are eliminated, it inevitably affects, for example, the production of children’s music and children’s theater.

Actor Tero Poali on stage, in the Spring Song play. — The Super Theatre’s reputation has been boosted because the theatre has been willing to tour schools, for example,” says Tero Porali.

Lahti Super Theater is a professional theater for children theater production. It has its own facilities, its own stage and makes several productions a year.

The theater received the same amount of grant from the city as last year. The amount is € 7,000. The Cultural Foundation was awarded well over EUR 11,000. Porali says that these will help.

In addition to expenses, the theater is responsible for copyright fees.

– For example, in the spring song, they get thousands of euros, as each proposal has to pay its own compensation, Porali says.

The tiny auditorium of the super theater can accommodate 60 spectators. In addition, the theater is touring at schools. The Lahti Children’s Winter Carnival was held in Malva Cultural Center.

Running your own children’s theater is not a gold mine.

– Yes, something can sometimes be obtained, but as with other artists, income is scored from the world in small streams. They are assembled into one soup that is just enough, laughs Tero Poali.