The power of culture: parents praise Helsinki’s Culture Kids programme

The Challenge

Over the last few decades, Helsinki has become an increasingly diverse city. To adapt to this change, cultural institutions have needed to find innovative ways to engage with their existing audiences and reach out to new ones, especially the city’s youngest residents.

The Purpose

To establish a city-wide programme that pairs children living in Helsinki with sponsors from the world of arts and culture. This program aims to support children’s development, enhance the well-being of their families, and provide organisations with the opportunity to offer children new cultural experiences.

Culture Kids is a win-win situation: cultural institutions offer children cultural experiences, while children and their families give these institutions the chance to grow and explore new approaches to their work.

The Solution

In 2020, Helsinki initiated an ambitious programme that brings together all newborn babies and cultural institutions within the city. Called Culture Kids, this program matches children with sponsors from the world of arts and culture. Every child born in or after 2020 and residing in Helsinki can join the program through their local maternity and child health clinic at eight weeks old. The cultural sponsor then invites the child to attend at least two free events each year until the child starts primary school. These events are specially designed to support the child’s development and promote family well-being.

The Culture Kids programme evolved from two projects organised by the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra. In 2019, these projects were evaluated, and participating families gave them the highest possible ratings. According to parents, the projects improved their families’ well-being, provided them with joyful experiences, and sparked their children’s interest in music. Based on this success, the city decided to extend a similar opportunity to every newborn child in Helsinki.

Culture Kids is a win-win situation: cultural institutions offer children cultural experiences, while children and their families give these institutions the chance to grow and explore new approaches to their work.

The Impact

Participation in the arts opens doors for Culture Kids, helping them acquire essential skills for their future lives. The future of today’s children will differ significantly from previous decades, with many aspects of life driven by technology. Skills that cannot be automated, such as creativity, courage, resilience, empathy and critical thinking, are likely to become even more valuable. Involvement in the arts and culture plays a vital role in nurturing these skills.

Approximately half the children born in Helsinki in or after 2020 have joined the Culture Kids program. The COVID-19 pandemic led to the cancellation of many events during the programme’s first two years. However, some events were organised in the autumn of 2021, and feedback from parents already indicates a promising future for the program. One participant expressed, “I believe this was the best thing the city has offered us since my baby was born. It has genuinely made us happy!”

Source: World Cities Culture Report 2022

Image Courtesy © City of Helsinki